Republican lifestyle exposed

Like I said, some of my best friends are Republican and I try to love the sinner and hate the sin, even though that's a struggle. They're so darned cute, almost normal --- sometimes. And you've got to feel sorry for people in that lifestyle. But empathy is such a slippery slope.

Maybe it would be easier I were more political, but what can you do when you're born without that gene?  Daddy, realizing this, did his best --- made me  promise to do what he'd always done: Never under any circumstance vote for a Republican.

I've always tried to do what Daddy said (this was the man who at 90 asked that his memorial contributions go to the Kerry for President campaign), but some days a guy would like to be able to be more positive --- just for the sake of getting along.

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Most Republicans claim their political preference is nature rather than nurture. But increasingly, studies point toward environmental factors, suggesting that traumatic events, even in early childhood, may cause a political identity conflict leading to the belief that they were "born that way."

In some ways, that's hopeful, although radical GOP activists disagree, because it suggests political perversity can be prayed away; that with a little help from the Big Guy there's hope for normal responses to stimulation --- compassion, for example, or tolerance, even reason.

I thought sure that's was what was happening Saturday in Waukee when I read about the Family Leader's Family Leadership Summit at Point of Grace Church. This is a church, after all. Right?

And all of those GOP luminaries were there --- not the brightest bulbs in the marquee I grant you (Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Steve King, Bob Vander Plaats) but certainly among those standing most in the need of prayer. Even the imperial wizard --- Chuck Grassley --- was there.

As it turned out, however, the sole purpose of the gathering was to launch a campaign to unseat yet another Iowa Supreme Court justice --- David Wiggins --- who was party to the unanimous high court decision some years ago permitting same-sex marriage.

So that was a missed opportunity --- not a sign of repentance; all a concerned Democrat can do is continue to pray for, rather than with.

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My non-Republican friends make all sorts of claims about what would happen if, say, the GOP gained a majority in both House and Senate. Now there are elements of truth here --- but exaggerations, too.

For example, if that majority developed would Republican sensitivity training to prevent GOPhobia in the workplace really be mandated? Or would teaching the viability of trickle-down economics be required in all  public schools? Would Boy Scouts really be forced to have Republican leaders and to add an anti-Obamacare provision to the oath? Or how about churches? Would they really be required to have Republican preachers, volunteers and staff and swear off such subversive tactics as feeding the poor? Would same-party marriages be mandated to avoid mixing political philosophies?

Many of these allegations represent scare tactics, I'd say.

Republicans in many instances are coming out of tough situations and you've just got to remember that until recently, in some parts of our great nation, affiliation with the GOP was considered a symptom of  mental illness. I think we all can agree in  more enlightened times that it isn't --- in many cases.

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Then just the other day, Mitt Romney picked that nice young man from Wisconsin to be his running mate. What's his name? Ryan, or something like that? Now there's a cross to bear.

Another kick in the teeth for evangelical Christians, already burdened. God's party now has a team composed of a Mormon, a denomination denounced as a satanic cult since the 1830s, and a Catholic, seen clearly as followers of the Antichrist for even longer. You've got to feel the evangelical angst.

Even though those two boys are just so darned cute together.

My non-Republican friends are saying all sorts of outrageous things about Ryan, too. Like:

--- He's in favor of gutting Medicaid and other assistance programs in order to improve the moral fiber of the poor and that he has similar plans for Medicare and Social Security --- to keep seniors focused on survival and out of politics.

--- If Ryan had his way, farm subsidies and spending on the environment would go away.

--- While gutting entitlement programs to the tune of $5.3 trillion, he'd reward his rich friends with $4.3 trillion in tax cuts --- sharing with the less fortunate optional, of course.

--- Even Newt Gingrich denounced some budget he once proposed as "right-wing social engineering" and said that it would be "suicide" for the Republican party.

--- He'd do his best to put both LGBT people and women back in their places --- as God intended --- advocating for an end to contraception and choice, pesky anti-hate-crime and anti-discrimination legislation  and the return of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Now heaven knows I don't want to deny anyone civil rights and if these are Ryan's opinions, I guess he's entitled to them.

 However, I just don't feel special rights should be extended to any individual or group of people based upon political preference. Republicans continue to defy common sense because they want to legitimize their lifestyle and punish anyone who opposes it because of religious convictions and concern for the health of the nation. And we just can't allow that to happen.