Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Schilling: Baker loves the gays

In his blog, Curt Schilling makes some remarks about his beliefs as part of his eventual decision not to run for office. I will give him credit that his ideas are more in line with a person trying to work out some conflicts and questions, and it's a nice change from the tight, poll-tested list of convictions most pols present. I'll give Schilling this -- he strikes me as more sincere in what he says he believes than most candidates.

But he does say something curious about Republican gubernatorial candidate/guy who won't pay for your prosthetic Charlie Baker:

Charlie Baker is running for Governor of Massachusetts. I am a huge supporter of Charlie. Charlie Baker is very much in favor of Gay marriage, I’m not. That doesn’t make me feel one ounce different about Charlie, because I understand there is no perfect candidate and no one exists but yourself, that’s going to align perfectly with your opinions and beliefs. This state needs good people above all else, and Charlie is that.


It's the "very much in favor of Gay marriage" that gets me. Not just in favor of equality, in favor of Gay marriage ("G"ay marriage? Baker wants sprinters to get married?). No, Baker is very much in favor of gay marriage. He doesn't just favor of equal rights in marriage, or colloquially accept the idea of gay marriage.

The way Schilling phrases it, he makes it sound as if there's nothing that gets ol' Charlie's motor running like two men going out and getting themselves married. A real guy-on-guy knot-tyin' enthusiast. To read Schilling, Baker cruises Unitarian chapels in Provincetown.

I doubt that's Baker's case. Rather, Baker can read poll numbers as well as anyone else, and realizes that clinging to an anti-equality stance in this state is a short path to loserdom. However, it certainly makes it seem that in Curt's mind, even a hint of tolerance makes you thrill at the idea of two men exchanging rings. It certainly makes it seem that the hardline conservatives in Massachusetts are not going to accept Baker's admission of equality quietly.

Which is perhaps a sign that it's a good thing Schilling won't come close to being our Senator, and that Baker isn't as close to the nomination as he likes to think he is.

1 comment:

TruthToPower said...

Great post. Thanks, Kathleen