By Sandy Steen
The upcoming national elections are a dead-serious choice for all gay people who want a job-producing economy that insures middle class affluence and upward mobility. Since Barack Obama’s historic election that promised “Hope and Change,” we have witnessed nightmarish results that create despair and a sense of futility for much of the gay community.
Gas prices have doubled and unemployment rates are up three percent; leaving millions of gay people almost helpless. Median incomes—if you even have a job—have dropped $3,000 to 5,000 per worker.
According to the Sun Sentinel, unemployment in Broward is over 8 percent; in Palm Beach County, it is over 10 percent.
Home foreclosures are at an all time high—which is devastating to a Florida gay community that historically distinguishes itself by improving dilapidated neighborhoods, and excelling in interior design and landscape architecture.
Gay newspapers and Websites relentlessly inveigle their readers into believing it is all George W. Bush’s fault, and focus on the mirage of hyper-homophobia in our culture. This is unethical journalistic rhetoric, and probably leads to an epidemic of depression among many gay people. Since 2010, I witness many “out and open” gay people and couples working as volunteers for such Republican candidates as Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti, congressional candidates Karen Harrington and Allen West, state Senate candidate Ellyn Bogdanoff, Scott Herman—a gay, disabled veteran running for state representative—and both Connie Mack and Marco Rubio as U.S. Senators.
In 2010, exit polls revealed that nearly 50 percent of gay voters voted Republican, slightly more than for Democrats. Now that’s “Hope and Change” we need to recognize and appreciate if we truly celebrate diversity.
To our economy’s detriment, Obama gambled over $5 trillion of borrowed money from China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, only to achieve a recovery that is the weakest in U.S. history. He promotes class warfare and excessive government dependence that in no way compares to the tremendous economic expansions ignited by John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, all of whom aggressively reduced taxes on income and in vestment. Barack Obama lost his luster because of little insight into how to make America competitive in a global economy. Our chief competitor during this century, China, signed 25 free trade pacts with other nations, and another 10 are in the works. Meanwhile, the U.S. signed only three.
Obama’s foreign policy is spinning horrifically out of control, with the wave of murderous terrorist attacks and violent demonstrations erupting across the Arab/Islamic world—a severe setback to the region’s democratic movements that tried to establish pluralistic opportunities for Arab gay people.
Mitt Romney offers a plan that will reinvigorate our economy and create at least 12 million new jobs in the next four years. He will save our deeply troubled Medicare and Social Security programs for our gay senior citizens. And he will stop the thoughtless foreign borrowing that has enchained every American into debt and despair for generations. Romney will help our entrepreneurial class create more jobs, and taxpayers.
Gay Americans are exceptionally capable and patriotic workers: They deserve the best America they can get in return for their dreams and ambitions. Let’s vote for Mitt Romney, along with Connie Mack for the U.S. Senate, and all other reform Republican candidates in Florida.
Sandy Steen is Vice President of the Broward Log Cabin Republicans and a former Mayor of Wilton Manors.
This is a very enlightening piece and I completely agree with the former Mayor of Wilton Manor.
Her perception of a growing Gay Republican presense is validated by numerous exit polls revealing that 25-40% of Gays vote Republican almost consistently, especially during the Nixon, Reagan and Bush 41 Presidencies, and during the Gingrich Revolution that created GOP majorites in the US Senate, House and Governorships.
I do suspect that when the author refers to nearly half of the Gay vote going Republican in 2010, she meant to say the “South Florida Gay vote”. According to several post-election studies done by liberal and Gay news services who commissioned a study, South Florida Gays led the nation in “Gay votes” for the Tea Party-GOP by a margin of 48-47%; however. the national 2010 Gay vote was only 35 percent to the Republicans.
Nonetheless, those numbers do reveal that a considerabe amount of discerning voting Gay people do provide over a million votes for the GOP.
In a polarized 50-50 American electorate, one million+ Gay votes can be decisive.
What a breath of fresh air to read Ms. Steen’s letter! I’ve practically given up on reading much of the gay press, as it has become mostly an official mouthpiece for the Democrat Party. Yet I personally know many gays, myself and my partner included, who have been voting Republican for many years now.
Why? The answers are many. In addition to the economic issues addressed in Ms. Steen’s letter, I would add foreign policy concerns. From the very beginning of this administration and its siding with the Hugo Chavez-aligned Zelaya in Honduras – I knew we were in trouble. The Honduran people have long been genuinely friendly to the USA and supported our world view of democracy and liberty and individual rights. They must’ve been flabbergasted at our support of a dictator wannabe in Zelaya!
Now, many years later, we see even more fruits of their imbecililty in the Arab world. Not only did this President see fit to bow down to Islamist Saudi royalty, but he threw a perfectly good secular Egyptian President – Hasni Mubarak – under the bus. What did we get instead? THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD! God help us all. Don’t forget this is also the same President that also somehow refused to assist the Green Revolution in Iran. Remember Neda dying in the street in her father’s arms? Thank you President Obama!
And yet he claims to command the respect of the world! What a narcissist this man is! He couldn’t even be bothered to prepare for a debate! But really – shouldn’t a President be automatically preared for a debate? Or is he absent on the job? I vote for the latter and I say you all should vote him out of office on November 6th!
Thank you for running this article so I an post a response = and explain why I will NEVER pick up a copy of the Florida Agenda again. No not for running this article by this clueless woman — but because you Florida Agenda took money from her organization and ran a huge ad that reads above and below are photo of the half naked CORPSE of Chris Stevens Ambassador to Libya — If Obama is not going to protect Gay/Gay Friendly Americans fro the terror or Islamist radicalism what makes you think they will protect us from Sharia Law ANYWHERE? (obviously implying the threat of Sharia Law in America)
Ms. Steen’s ad goes on to proclaim her support of Israel === and proclaiming Support Israel In Hour of Darkness. Vote Republican.
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Florida Agenda made an editorial decision to take money to print a photo of a corpse – and tie that to fear mongering to elect candidates from a Party whose PLATFORM in specific pledges to restrict and REDUCE civil rights for Gay Americans.
Sickening all around …. I will pass up picking your newspaper from here on out — your advertisers have lost a set of eyes and wallet that spends in the community.
SHAME on you Florida Agenda for this awful choice.
Shame on Ms. Steen for running such a vile ad.
But Gay Republicans have little shame or thought except for Zionism and reduced taxes. For the most party they are less laughable for GOProud – but Ms. Steen’s Broward Chapter — and Florida Agenda’s shameful editorial choice have left another black eye on South Florida around the nation, for your publication and for Log Cabin.
1. That was not ambassador Stevens photo, the ambassador was taken to hospital and was pronounced dead at the hospital and was released to American Security
2. Ambassador Stevens was not OUT to the public so LCR Broward outed him
3. The National Log Cabins have condemned this AD http://www.blogcabin.net/?p=2868
Only the delusional could defend a spineless manipulated dishonest clown like Romney who signed the anti-Gay marriage pledge from the abhorrent N O M and then choose a dangerous anti-human V P running mate who is doing a disappearing act during this election cycle. Romney’s economic and defense policies are like that we see of the FL D O T, putting in decorative lighting , pretty bricks and festive landscaping while the street repairs are ignored. What Is he defending?
Sandy Steen’s comments are simply more poppycock straight out of the Republican playbook of Orwellian doublespeak. LGBT voters who think for themselves can’t be fooled into voting Republican.