Doug PollardGay Guy stands up to Hockey Mom for the Republican soul (if it hasn't already been sold)
Fred Karger
US gay Republican presidential candidate steps out and the NSW Greens step up, says SSO newsman Andrew Potts.
DOUG: All due to the State election period gone by we stopped talking with a lot of our regulars, because we had a troop of politicians and others, coming through the studios. So it’s time now to catch-up with some of those people. First cab off-the-rank, so to speak – is: Andrew Potts. From the Sydney Star Observer. Good morning, Andrew.
ANDREW: Good morning, Doug. I forgive you.
DOUG: We didn’t forget you. We still love ya’. We’re going to be speaking with Harley Dennett shortly, over in Washington – you have an American story for us this morning, too. A gay Republican, presidential candidate.
ANDREW: That’s right. America’s first, openly-gay presidential candidate. Started screening television ads in Iowa last month - - -
DOUG: [laughs]
ANDREW: Republican Fred Karger is a political consultant with over 35-years experience including helping to run three presidential races for Republican candidates. He’s also the founder of ‘Californians Against Hate’, which is a group that monitors donations to anti-gay activist groups, and was very influential in trying to fight the ban against same-sex marriage in that State. Now, in April this year he announced he was considering running as an Independent candidate. For the Republicans. (and) In August he launched an exploratory committee to test the waters for the campaign. That decision wasn’t without controversy within the Republican Party.
DOUG: [laughs] I bet.
ANDREW: Hasn’t always been known as that friendly to gay people. Soon after his announcement an Iowa delegate to the Republican National Committee labelled him a member of the radical, homosexual community. So there’ve been some waves within the Republican Party.
DOUG: All joking aside; I mean, there is a gay contingent within the Republican Party. It is true to say that they’ve been fairly vocal – what they call the Log Cabin Republicans. They’ve been fairly vocal in recent times. But – m’mm, putting up a presidential candidate seems a bridge-too-far?
ANDREW: It’s interesting because I guess, what Karger told me was he wanted to take the Party back to its progressive roots. I mean, the Republicans were the Party that abolished slavery and gave women the vote in America. Even though that was 100-years ago. I think the thing that’s interesting about the Log Cabin Republicans the reason they’re called that is they take their name from the log cabin that Abraham Lincoln was supposedly born in.
DOUG: M’mm, m’mm.
ANDREW: There’s a fair bit of evidence to suggest Lincoln was gay and in fact, the president before him as well. So – you know? Karger doesn’t think he has really that much of a chance. But it’s more he wants to set the precedent; if he can get to a point where he’s participating in televised debates and things like that he thinks it’ll move the Republican Party further. Maybe energise some its more small-L liberal members. (and) There is that faction within the Party.
DOUG: We tend to forget that Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican. As you say, Abe Lincoln was a Republican – so, the Party’s moved an awfully long way from those roots. I mean, it’s been captured – basically – by big-business a long time ago hasn’t it?
ANDREW: Particularly the Christian-right as well. That’s really a phenomenon.
DOUG: That’s been more recent, hasn’t it?
ANDREW: Yeah. It’s a phenomenon that’s occurred really, since the Regan era.
DOUG: Now they seem to be somewhat on the way in at the moment, within the Republican Party. They’re very shrill and they’re very loud but the Christian movement seems to have been overtaken by the Tea Party people?
ANDREW: That’s right. The Tea Party movement’s a bit schizophrenic.
DOUG: [laughs]
ANDREW: In that there is that fundamentalist stream in the Tea Party as well but then there are other people who are fundamentalist libertarians - - -
DOUG: M’mm?
ANDREW: - - - and I’ve even seen interviews with Tea Party members who are certainly homophobic. But they’re so anti-big government they want same-sex marriage legal. Just ‘cause they don’t think government should be telling anyone what to do.
DOUG: [laughs] Yes. Talk about going ‘round the houses – go so far to the right that you come-in back to the left.
ANDREW: M’mm.
DOUG: As it were. Like running around the scenery back of the stage, very odd. Let’s leave the Americans for a moment because I’m going to be talking with Harley Dennett. You’re predecessor actually, there - - -
ANDREW: That’s correct.
DOUG: - - - at the Star Observer, as well. ‘Cause he’s got the latest on the front runner republican, Sarah Palin and her rather wayward children. We’ll be talking about that a bit later on. Let’s come back to Australia; the New South Wales Greens pushing for same-sex marriage under State law, if the Federal government doesn’t make a move.
ANDREW: That’s correct. I think that makes New South Wales the 4th-State to have either a same-sex marriage bill drafted or promised, now. The New South Wales Greens member of the Legislative Council, Cate Faehrmann. She’s given notice to a motion she’s going to soon introduce which will call on the New South Wales government to legalise same-sex notes the overwhelming public support for marriage equality in Australia and notes a number of the overseas jurisdictions where it’s legal. (and) Then calls on the New South Wales government to do that if the Federal government fails to deliver on marriage equality by 2011.
DOUG: We’ve heard that motion Penny Wong put-up in South Australia, in favour of same-sex marriage, haven’t we?
ANDREW: Yeah. That was - - -
DOUG: [indistinct]
ANDREW: That was a vote within the Party; interestingly as well there’s Ian Hunter who’s a South Australian MLC. He and a Greens MLC there are partnering on a State, same-sex marriage bill which I believe the intention was to introduce it yesterday. Haven’t been able to see the Hansard, yet. Those two MPs they were also responsible for pushing forward the parenting legislation that was just passed in South Australia as well. So there you’ve got an openly-gay Labor MP and the Greens, pushing things together. But then I think there are also bills promised by the Tasmanian and Victorian Greens?
DOUG: Yes. I believe so. But – m’mm, not likely to happen now in Victoria.
ANDREW: Yep.
DOUG: What’s-his-name, Brian Walters, who was standing-up against Bronwyn Pike, promised that if he was elected he would bring-in a same-sex marriage bill in Victoria but of course, he didn’t. Bronwyn held on to her seat. Remains to be seen whether the Greens in fact still have 3-seats in the Upper House? (and) Maybe they’ll come down to two.
ANDREW: M’mm.
DOUG: I don’t think the final count is in on that yet? I don’t think things are moving very far in Victoria – I don’t see much chance under Ted Baillieu to be honest. But we shall have to see, there. In New South Wales at the moment it’s pretty much a done-deal that Labor is going to lose the next election, isn’t it?
ANDREW: It is – I guess, the question there is what the numbers in the Legislative Council are going to be. Because the Greens in New South Wales they already have four MLCs and with the New South Wales government on-the-nose unless there’s a poll reversal in support, they’re looking to do particularly well. I’ve seen polls where their support’s been up around 18 per cent and it’s been that way for quite an extended period. If they can control the balance of power in the Legislative Council that will moderate what the Liberals will be able to do in power, here. The current Liberal opposition leader, Barry O’Farrell – he’s fairly sympathetic to gay rights. There’ve been a number of recent reforms he’s voted in-favour of and allowed conscience votes for his colleagues; there is also quite a militant far-right faction in the New South Wales Liberal Party.
DOUG: M’mm.
ANDREW: As well. So I wouldn’t expect to see further reforms under the Liberals.
DOUG: We’re in for a bit of a quiet time on the reform front, State-level.
ANDREW: Yeah.
DOUG: (and) We’ll be talking with Corey Irlam shortly, about how he thinks things will be going federally. Andrew – we’re going to have to leave it there. It’s nice to talk with you again.
ANDREW: No worries, Doug.
DOUG: Hope you’re having better weather today than we are, down here?
ANDREW: I’m running out of dry clothes. I may have to go to the shops and buy some.
[laughs]
DOUG: Oh well, we’re pretty soggy here too – anyway – we’ll catch-up with you again, next week.
