April 18, 2009 03:06 AM UTC

Steve Schmidt's Address to the Log Cabin Republicans

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• by: Justin.Henceroth@gmail.com

(But will they listen? – promoted by redstateblues)

Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s former top campaign adviser addressed the Log Cabin Republican’s and told them why he thinks his party should embrace the issue of gay marriage.

There is a sound conservative argument to be made for same sex marriage. I believe conservatives, more than liberals, insist that rights come with responsibilities.  No other exercise of one’s liberty comes with greater responsibilities than marriage.  In a marriage, two people are completely responsible to and for each other.  If you are not willing to accept and faithfully discharge those responsibilities, you shouldn’t enter the state of matrimony, and it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference if you’re straight or gay.  It is a responsibility like no other, which can and should make marriage an association between two human beings more fulfilling than any other.

Between this speech, and possible Senate Candidacy of the Pro-Civil Unions Ryan Frazier, are the winds of change blowing in the Republican Party?

You can (and should) read the whole speech here  http://ow.ly/37U8

He also addressed some of the political reasons why the Republican party should (must) change their views on the subject.  After the jump.

But no one should take comfort from knowing our Party’s success could come at the expense of the country or must rely on blunders by the Administration and the Democratic Congress.  Moreover, while I think projections of a political re-alignment are premature based on the results of two elections, I would rather be in the Democrats’ shoes than ours.  Their coalition is expanding.  Ours is shrinking.  Their vote share is increasing among voter segments that are growing.  Ours is not.  The rapid growth of the Hispanic-American population, for instance, could soon cost Republicans the entire Southwest if we don’t recover our previous share of their vote.  Had Senator McCain not been the Republican nominee in 2008, I’m convinced we would have lost Arizona.  It’s very hard to see how we put together 270 electoral votes without the Southwest.

As a percentage of the total vote, younger voters didn’t really increase in the last election.  But the Democrats’ margin with those voters certainly did.  In short, we were crushed by the Obama campaign with voters under 30.  President Obama was a uniquely attractive candidate to younger voters, in matters of style as much as substance.  And maybe as those voters grow older and acquire greater responsibilities they will develop a better appreciation for Republican values of limited government, fiscal discipline, low taxes and a strong defense.  That has happened in the past.

But even if they do, I doubt they will abandon social attributes that distinguish them from older voters; among them, a greater acceptance of people who find happiness in relationships with members of the same sex.  And I believe Republicans should re-examine the extent to which we are being defined by positions on issues that I don’t believe are among our core values, and that put us at odds with what I expect will become over time, if not a consensus view, then the view of a substantial majority of voters.