Republicans See Cash Opportunity in Gay Marriage Shift

GOP Senator Rob Portman

The caption of this post which comes from a Politico article will have Tony Perkins, Brian Brown, Phyllis Schlafly, Linda Harvey and similar anti-gay hate merchants in full blown apoplexy along with convulsions on the floor and pools of spittle.   Yes, you read the title correctly.  A growing number of Republicans see a shift towards accepting gay marriage as a way to bring more cash into their coffers.  Apparently, Perkins' threat that the Christofascists will walk away if Republicans accept gay marriage hasn't struck fear in as many GOP hearts as Perkins had hoped.  Let's hope the trend trickles down to the level of the Virginia GOP which acts like a bunch of trained circus dogs that jump through the hoops held up by The Family Foundation.   Here are some highlights from the Politico piece:

Republican fundraisers say the changing views of gay marriage in their party could unlock big money from GOP donors in places like New York, California and Florida — where some Republicans have kept their checkbooks closed over what they saw as misplaced priorities, at best, or intolerance, at worst, at the highest ranks of the party.

Several Republicans pointed to Sen. Rob Portman’s switch in support of gay marriage as a watershed moment for the party. And more than two dozen high-profile GOP-ers asked the Supreme Court to back gay rights.

“Republicans’ intolerance to marriage equality has been detrimental to winning,” said Aaron McLear, a California Republican strategist. “Big donors understand that they don’t want to invest in campaigns focused on a losing issue, and I think certainly the fiscal issues for Republicans are much more marketable.”

It’s not clear how much money could come from donors supportive of the party’s move toward new thoughts on gay marriage. Pro gay-rights donors have long been an important source of campaign cash for Democrats, including after President Barack Obama pushed through a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which barred openly gay people from serving in the military.  And operatives believe the money is there for Republicans, too.

Several lawmakers told POLITICO the issue has come up in meetings with potential big donors, who take a different view than the party base.  Portman himself has taken heat from New York donors who believe the party’s emphasis on social issues is one of the major reasons for losses this fall. Their views were taken so seriously that Portman, vice chairman of finance for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, held a dozen meetings with big New York donors recently in an attempt to assuage their fears about the direction of the party.

American Unity PAC, a super PAC started by Elliott Associates hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer to push Republican candidates to support gay marriage, plans to announce big changes related to its fundraising in the coming weeks as it ramps up for the midterm elections.  .  .  .  .  “I expect we’re going to play a major, major role in 2014. As more and more true conservatives come out in support of the freedom to marry, it gives us a lot more opportunity to play a role and make a difference in races,” said Jeff Cook-McCormac, a senior adviser to American Unity PAC.

David Herro, a major GOP donor who gave $50,000 to American Unity during the 2012 cycle, said Portman reconsidering his stance on gay marriage was “a huge positive” for the party.  .   .   .   Herro said he will continue to give to American Unity and that he welcomes Portman’s leadership on this issue.   "I think the Republican Party needs to be more libertarian on our views on these social issues,” he said.

One can just imagine the shrieks and wailing at the offices of FRC and AFA and Focus on the Family.  Let's hope the trend continues and that as a result more in the GOP make the shift to supporting marriage equality and in the process begin to marginalize the Christofascists. For its long term survival, the GOP needs to kick the Christianists to the curb at a minimum in terms of allowing them to control the party's position on social issues.