Signorile on what motivates GOProud and Mary Cheney

Mike Signorile:

I'm still not sure any of these terms quite captures what exactly motivates Mary Cheney and GOProud. It's one thing to work within the Republican Party to change it, and I've often supported the work of groups like the Log Cabin Republicans in doing so. But to actually endorse a candidate who calls for stripping you of rights seems totally crazy and pathological -- unless perhaps you don't believe the candidate will ever do such a thing. And that is actually what gay Republicans who are voting for Romney will tell you privately. In fact, several such gay Republicans who are listeners to my show have called in to say as much.

Now, whether or not Romney would really push for a federal marriage amendment, his speaking out in favor of it is damaging simply because he emboldens anti-gay forces and helps to inject hate into the political discourse. So, no, I don't believe it's an excuse to vote for him just because you believe he's stringing the Christian right along, telling them he'll push for a constitutional ban on gay marriage even though he will drop it once elected. But it does explain why GOPers like the Cheney family, hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, and others who publicly and proudly support marriage equality would still support Romney. They don't believe he's anti-gay. They actually believe he's the flip-flopper he's shown himself to be, and in this case they see that as an asset. Or, to be more honest, they believe he's a liar.