Mitt Romeny team loses spokesperson due to homophobia in the party

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**Melissia**

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57425607-503544/gay-romney-spokesman-quits-over-hyper-partisan-discussion-of-personal-issues/

Mitt Romney's spokesman on foreign policy issues abruptly quit Tuesday after anti-gay conservatives made an issue of his outspoken support for gay marriage. Richard Grenell resigned on what was to be his first official day on the job, citing the "hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues."

Grenell, who is openly gay, was hired by the Romney campaign less than two weeks ago. He was a Republican communications strategist for over a decade, including a stint as the national security and foreign policy spokesman in the George W. Bush administration.

Some prominent conservatives criticized Grenell's role in Romney's campaign after he made comments via Twitter and other media in support of same-sex marriage. Last week, Matthew Franck wrote in the National Review, "I agree that Grenell's being openly gay is, in itself, of no consequence for his service in the Romney campaign. Nor is the fact that he supports same-sex marriage. ... But Grenell has made a particular crusade of the marriage issue, with a kind of unhinged devotion that suggests a man with questionable judgment."

In addition to the same-sex marriage issue, Grenell also often tweeted about prominent Democrats and rival presidential candidates, particularly former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista. He dinged Callista about her hair style -- "do you think Callista's hair snaps on?" -- and Gingrich's about his first two marriages - "compliments all the wives, proving he can't pick just one first lady." Of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he tweeted, "Hillary is starting to look like Madeleine Albright."

In a statement to news outlets, Grenell explained his decision to resign, while thanking Romney for hiring him. He wrote:

"I have decided to resign from the Romney campaign as the foreign policy and national security spokesman. While I welcomed the challenge to confront President Obama's foreign policy failures and weak leadership on the world stage, my ability to speak clearly and forcefully on the issues has been greatly diminished by the hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues that sometimes comes from a presidential campaign. I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team."

Romney Campaign Manager Matt Rhoades said the camapign is "disappointed that Ric decided to resign from the campaign for his own personal reasons."

"We wanted him to stay because he had superior qualifications for the position he was hired to fill," he added.

A source close to the Romney campaign denied that Grenell resigned because of complaints he is gay. Rather, the source said, Grenell stepped down because he had become a story himself.

Though it was not homophobia from Mitt himself. Oddly enough, this story kinda makes me like Mitt more (or perhaps dislike less, I'm really not sure at this point) even as at the same time it makes me dislike the Republican party more.

**purplefood**

Melissia wrote:Though it was not homophobia from Mitt himself. Oddly enough, this story kinda makes me like Mitt more (or perhaps dislike less, I'm really not sure at this point) even as at the same time it makes me dislike the Republican party more.

This.

**HonorHarrington**

~~Longterm~~ Recently hired ~~closet~~ openly gay staffer quits campaign. Romney campaign says ~~good riddance~~ they would rather have had him stay.

I don't see what's really surprising here. This is kind of a non-story.

**drunkorc**

Though it was not homophobia from Mitt himself. Oddly enough, this story kinda makes me like Mitt more (or perhaps dislike less, I'm really not sure at this point) even as at the same time it makes me dislike the Republican party more

Gota see the big Picture, before you put judgement in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)

Not so bad eh?

**purplefood**

drunkorc wrote:
Though it was not homophobia from Mitt himself. Oddly enough, this story kinda makes me like Mitt more (or perhaps dislike less, I'm really not sure at this point) even as at the same time it makes me dislike the Republican party more

Gota see the big Picture, before you put judgement in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)

Not so bad eh?

Yeah they still look pretty bad...

**Melissia**

drunkorc wrote:
Though it was not homophobia from Mitt himself. Oddly enough, this story kinda makes me like Mitt more (or perhaps dislike less, I'm really not sure at this point) even as at the same time it makes me dislike the Republican party more

Gota see the big Picture, before you put judgement in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)

Not so bad eh?

Actually that just confirms my dislike of the party.

It's not really even properly right wing half the time, it's more authoritarian than anything these days.

Certainly that's not the party I see here in Texas anyway.

**dogma**

I question the decision to hire a communications strategist that maintains a Twitter account in which he expresses personal views, especially regarding things like the hair style of an opponent's spouse. Further, I question how competent such a strategist happens to be..

**Hordini**

dogma wrote:I question the decision to hire a communications strategist that maintains a Twitter account in which he expresses personal views, especially regarding things like the hair style of an opponent's spouse. Further, I question how competent such a strategist happens to be..

I was thinking the exact same thing. However, if he was otherwise well-qualified (that is, besides the Twitter thing), it's pretty unfortunate that he'd be forced out for reasons related to anti-homosexual opinions in the party.

**streamdragon**

Sometimes I wonder what previous republican presidents would think of the current political party. I can't imagine Lincoln would be happy, and I'm fairly certain Teddy Roosevelt would strike up the Bull Moose party again.

**Hordini**

streamdragon wrote:Sometimes I wonder what previous republican presidents would think of the current political party. I can't imagine Lincoln would be happy, and I'm fairly certain Teddy Roosevelt would strike up the Bull Moose party again.

I know quite a few living Republicans who aren't particularly happy with the party right now either, for that matter.

**Frazzled**

streamdragon wrote:Sometimes I wonder what previous republican presidents would think of the current political party. I can't imagine Lincoln would be happy, and I'm fairly certain Teddy Roosevelt would strike up the Bull Moose party again.

You might ask what Johnson and Kennedy would think of the current Democratic Party for that matter.
They'd be moderate to conservative Republicans at this point.

**dogma**

Frazzled wrote:
You might ask what Johnson and Kennedy would think of the current Democratic Party for that matter.
They'd be moderate to conservative Republicans at this point.

Lyndon "Great Society" Johnson would be a moderate to conservative Republican?

**Frazzled**

dogma wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
You might ask what Johnson and Kennedy would think of the current Democratic Party for that matter.
They'd be moderate to conservative Republicans at this point.

Lyndon "Great Society" Johnson would be a moderate to conservative Republican?

You betcha
Lower taxes
Active involvement in stemming the evils of the world including massive military use
Limited government in comparison to what is in place and proposed by the Democratic party.

Kennedy would be considered just this side of a Nazi by many members of this OT.

Oh crap I went and pulled a (I just forgot).

**dogma**

Frazzled wrote:
You betcha
Lower taxes
Active involvement in stemming the evils of the world including massive military use

Interestingly Clinton was also quite involved in stemming the evils of the world through the use of military force, and I don't know many people that would call him conservative. And sure, he cut taxes, but not by as much as one might think due to the FICA increase.

Throw in Johnson's many, many social programs (most notably Medicare) and you would be hard pressed to label Johnson to place Johnson right of center.

Frazzled wrote:
Limited government in comparison to what is in place and proposed by the Democratic party.

That's a nonsensical comparison. Its like claiming that, because Lincoln presided over a more limited government than all Republicans following him, all Republican Presidents since would really be moderate to liberal Democrats. Considering the context of Johnson's Presidency, no living (informed) Republican (or Democrat, really) would consider him conservative, possibly moderate, but not conservative.

**rockerbikie**

It was bound to happen.