Wishful thinking from the GOP

Republicans Confident Gay Rights Issue Will Hurt Dean WASHINGTON — Following the controversy caused by Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-Pa.) comments that seemed to equate homosexuals with adulterers and polygamists, Republicans say politicians backing gay rights may face trouble in the polls. ... But Republicans say former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has the biggest hurdle to clear when squaring his record on gay rights with more conservative voters. As governor, Dean passed the nation's only law giving gay partners the same legal rights as married couples. I have said this before and I think, at this crucial time, it is worth repeating. DEMOCRATS SHOULD NEVER TAKE POLITICAL ADVICE FROM REPUBLICANS! I mean really. If the Republicans actually thought that Dean's attacks on Santorum and Bush on this matter might actually help Dean do you think they would say so? Of course not! Indeed, they are more likely to play down the political viability of an opponents strategy if they think that it might actually be working. It's an old strategy: so seeds of doubt in the campaign of the opposition. My advice: don't listen to any of it. I think the homosexual question could be a winning issue for Dean because, while the majority of American's may still be squeamish on the topic, the majority also believe in the concept of fairness. I think if Dean appeals to that decent quality while pointing out the Republican's repeated playing to the bigot crowd he has a good chance of winning them over on the issue. The simple fact is that people want to perceive themselves as the good guys and, by voting for Dean, he is providing them a mechanism by which they can do a little self-validation (and making those who would vote for Bush have second thoughts about wanting to be to closely associated with a party that consciously tries to appeal to bigots).