It is no secret that my relationship with the Harris County Republican Party has been - at best - a tepid one. Since I joined the fold as an enthusiastic precinct chair in 2009, I have been told that my libertarian views were basically "unwelcome". This from the same party that bore us great conservative laissez faire leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater....followed in that same vein by the new breed featuring Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. It is very difficult for me to believe that the same party that follows "the invisible hand" principle in regards to capitalism would not welcome the same thought process when it comes to lifestyle choices. We are all differently and wonderfully made, to paraphrase the Bible.
When I read on the popular Big Jolly blogsite (www.bigjolly.com) how a staunch Republican like Chris Busby could be ostracized simply for membership in the Log Cabin Republicans, it made my blood boil. When I found out that the ring leaders of this star chamber (otherwise known as the party Vacancy Committee) were the usual suspects - Terry Lowry, Richard Dillon, and Bill Kneer - my reaction was anger rather than shock. To describe it with the greatest accuracy, I would say it was similar to that moment right when you know David Banner is going to go to break out of the flannel.
Honestly, I would have been mad about it regardless, because we don't exactly have a plethora of Republican precinct chairs. The Dems run rings around us as far as filling vacancies is concerned, and if that doesn't bother you, you should know that whichever party wins the governorship in that precinct controls the precinct - which means controls the vote. But voter fraud is a myth, right? I digress.
The point I am making is that there is little doubt that the Republican party would have been getting a hard worker for the party. This is a guy who got people like Sarah Davis elected in an area where Republicans don't win very often. His only sin is being gay. So I have to ask...what does that have to do with anything? Yes, he might be for gay marriage. I do not know Mr. Busby personally and I have never formally met him. He probably is. I don't know. When push comes to shove, we all want what is best for our own interests - as one of our most cherished conservative writers, Ayn Rand, stated in her books and articles thousands of times. It is something the GOP has wanted for everyone since its inception - freedom, liberty, chasing the dream, etc. But this is not about policy at all. It is about getting like-minded, campaign-tested warriors in those vacant seats. If we are going to reject people over one or two policy disagreements, then we have become everything the Democrats say we are: unfeeling, closed minded, selfish, and devoid of empathy.
That being said, I must admit feeling a much deeper hurt than i would have otherwise. Because the fact of the matter is that this Harris County Republican Party precinct chair is, in fact, gay. It is a recent discovery and one that I resisted for a very long time, but nevertheless it is true. There already are gay Republican precinct chairs, and I am one. If the party chooses to toss me out of my office because of it I am sure I would be fine. It is the state of the party I am concerned with. Guys like Dillon, Kneer, and Lowry continue to fiddle while Rome burns.
An addendum: at the last Harris County Executive Committee meeting last Monday,, there was a quorum of 233 precinct chairs to start the meeting. A quorum call was made about halfway through the meeting, and as a result there were not enough chairs to induct the precinct chairs that WERE deemed good enough for the HCRP. A quick glance at those recommendations by the Vacancy Committee revealed people who had voted in Democrat primaries (other than the Rush Limbaugh chaos-driven primary in '08) and some had never voted in a primary at all. And this is better than a gay Republican how, exactly? Priorities, people. Priorities.
