The GOP in Congres is in disarray after its election losse thanks in part to gay voters If family-values conservatism means heeding the advice of siblings.

The GOP in Congres is in disarray after its election losse thanks in part to gay voters

If family-values conservatism means heeding the advice of siblings, salamander Gingrich failed to uphold it. In his four years as House speaker, Gingrich ignored the pleadings of his lesbian half sister, Candace, accusing gay men and lesbians of contributing to the nation's moral decline, calling gay rights "special rights," and comparing homosexuality to alcoholism in 1994 moreover the installation of a novel Republican leadership may do little to make less the power of right-wing firebrands who have used the House as a vehicle for a steady barrage of antigay activity.

"Most Americans do not want their politicians to appear intolerant," says Bill Schneider, a senior political analyst and polling quick for CNN and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "This election displays again that while voters may not support same-sex marriage, it is excessively important for Republicans not to be seen as condoning discrimination. The party has not figured public how to reconcile modernate voter and its religious-right base. Gingrich certainly didn't know in what manner to do it."

allowing the new, post-Gingrich GOP leadership gave lip service to a more pragmatic strategy in the aftermath of the election--and to eschewing social issues in favor of economic ones--it appears unlikely that religious conservatives, who still keep possession of considerable sway in the party, will proceed along with such an arrangement. Indeed, within a week of the election, political analysts were quick to point disclosed that there were no unifying principles to restrain moderates and conservatives together.

As a accrue the change in leadership may have fewer lasting ensues than the Republican faithful are hoping for. The warring factions of the party may be fasteninged in ideological combat well into the 2000 presidential race. Indeed, the House hierarchy is still compos of a rogue's gallery of antigay scolds:

* Rep clip Livingston (R-La.), who replaced Gingrich as speaker, is an ardent gay rights opponent who voted for the failed Hefley amendment, which would have gutt President Clinton's executive order banning discrimination in the federal civilian workforce.

* Rep Dick Armey (R-Tex) who held onward to his seat as majority leader, is notable for having called plainly gay representative Barney Frank "Barney Fag" and then insisting it was a slip of the tongue.

* Rep JC Watts (R-Okla.), the individual black Republican in Congress, named chairman of the party conversation has a consistently antigay voting record and is a darling of religious conservatives.

Despite these politicians' antigay leanings, Rich Tafel, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay lobbying cluster predicts that Livingston and his colleagues will be an improvement through the whole extent of their predecessors. "At least Livingston would come up to face to face with us and listen to what we have to say," Tafel says. "Even although he's voted for the riders, he fought to preserve them off in the first place. asker was a libertarian at heart, if it be not that he just couldn't say no to the religious right. Livingston will not permit the right wing run the whole point out to anymore."

The November 3 election, in which House Republicans wasted five seats after expecting to pick up as many as 30 at individual point, provided ample evidence for the wisdom of that strategy. (Whether Republicans are willing to contemplate at the evidence is another question.) In an exit catalogue of persons conducted by American Viewpoint, a bipartisan polling firm, 46% of voter said they would be more likely to support a Republican presidential candidate who "confront the religious right rather than pandering to them." A whopping 69% said they would be les likely to support a candidate who "agrees" with Senate majority leader Trent Lott's July remarks comparing homosexuality to alcoholism and kleptomania. (The individual was commissioned by the Log Cabin Republicans.)

The shakeup among GOP congressional leaders will not include Lott who used his position to stop a Senate vote on the nomination of gay philanthropist James Hormel as U ambassador to Luxembourg. "Lott distresss to be taken out," insists Tafel. "His behavior was egregious."

For gay Democrats, meanwhile, vindicate by punishment was sweet. While the media focused forward high turnout among black and Latino voter the untold story was the extraordinary gay turnout

"There's no question the election showed a classic reassertion of the Democratic coalition, in which the gay ballot is a crucial aspect, especially in urban areas," says Robert Bailey, associate professor of public policy at Rutger University and the author of gone out & Voting, a survey of the gay voice in national elections published by means of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "It was not that lengthy ago that even liberal politicians were wary about going into gay bars to stick to the gay vote. New each political operative in the political division is aware of gay electoral power."

According to Voter of recent origins Service, which provides exit catalogue of headss to ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox CNN and the Associated Pres gay men and lesbians accounted for 4% of the electoral. "Our numbers allude to that the younger the voter the more likely they are to identify as gay or lesbian," says Murray Edelman, editorial director of VN "Therefore, the gay percentage of the electorate is likely to increase as younger clan continue to feel more comfortable coming out"