Today’s Boston Globe has an interesting article addressing the rift between the Republican Party and American public regarding marriage equality. Matt Viser’s article, GOP hopefuls challenged by growing gay marriage tide, is really worth reading. Viser briefly touches upon how continued opposition to marriage equality could pose problems with attracting younger voters who overwhelmingly support marriage equality. Republican analysts have every right to worry, because with nearly 80 million Millennials now in the workforce and voting, Republicans can no longer afford to only appeal to Baby Boomers. The Republican Party needs to be able to woo Millennials if they want to be able to win national elections.
The primary process for both political parties tends to allow the party base to flex its muscle and shape issues that are important to them. With Democrats a populist message perhaps best articulated by my US Senator, Elizabeth Warren, will potentially move Democrats further left. Republicans seem stuck on a 2004 political playbook using xenophobic and homophobic language to appeal to their base and while this will win primaries – it has not served their party in Presidential elections. How will centrist political heavy weights like Jeb Bush and Chris Christie traverse their party’s self-made political land mines? I don’t know but I’m glad to see the reality of their reactionary stances coming to bite them in the ass. It is time for both major political parties to move beyond pandering to homophobic elements in their party.
BosGuy 