Rance Priebus was widely reported to have made the following remarks in an interview with USA Today last week.
“We do have a platform, and we adhere to that platform . . . But it doesn’t mean that we divide and subtract people from our party (who favor gay marriage) . . . I don’t believe we need to act like Old Testament heretics, . . . (Rather, Republicans) have to strike a balance between principle and grace and respect.”
Many outlets picked up on the above as the essence of his comments. Accordingly at printed value it seemed to us to be an effort to admit to critics accusations regarding the Party as possessed of the greatest sin imaginable, intolerance. We thought the interview was the start of an apology tour by Priebus, creating whipping boys to please the media all in furtherance of the Growth and Opportunity Project (GOP) he helped implement. That was how we interpreted the matter based on the sketchy reports.
While we view the GOP project as mostly superficial crap, with implications that are offensive in their own right, now having listened to the Priebus interview , we are able to say that in context the remarks were not near as bad as we thought. Priebus is an affable fellow and his words were charitably no more than that. There was no advocacy of a change in policy as regards same sex marriage. He did not endorse the Karl Rove comment that a Republican presidential nominee in support of redefining marriage is something he could foresee. Priebus had the good sense last week not to be cast into those weeds.
However we wish that if he felt it necessary to toss off a remark about the Old Testament in the interview, that he would have mustered the directness to say that defending the culture does not make a Republican an Old Testament dogmatist. Deep abiding cultural history worldwide supports our view. The implications of same-sex marriage are profound and multifaceted. The reasons given for it are juvenile. Regrettably that is the reasoning level of too many of our citizens and the stock in trade of the Democrat Party.
Party spokesmen at all levels need to be much better at assertively defending the platform, attacking Democrats at least for attacking us, and not tossing off core matters as just one opinion, implying one is as good as another. Priebus’s comments did smack of that with reference to prominent Republicans changing their positions, bolting from the platform on the matter of same-sex marriage. Affability “likability” of the messenger is one thing, but it is no war fighting approach or persuasive if that is all one has.
Priebus did indicate that he thinks the same sex marriage matter is a diversion. It is and it isn’t. Yes the Democrats would like to talk about something else rather that their record on the economy and other matters. But if Republicans are pathetic about defending principled views because Democrats are successful at changing the subject they will get beat up and the diversion becomes successful. Democrats are moving forward on a matter with profound implications for society. The matters before the courts have been festering. It may be convenient now for the Democrats but it is not a new matter. Wishing it away is not dealing with reality. With serious messaging Democrats can be impaled on their own unicorn. R Mall
