This Elephant Didn't Make It Into The Room

Contrary to what you've heard, not all Republicans won their elections yesterday.

Of course, here in New York, Rob Astorino lost his bid to unseat incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo.  That, really, was no surprise at all.

Perhaps the same can be said for Lauren Scott's defeat.  After all, she lost in a heavily Democratic and blue-collar district of Sparks, Nevada.  Although it's not California or New York, Nevada has many union workers, which is one reason why it "tilts" (but is by no means predominantly) Democrat.

Had she won, she would have been the first openly transgender person elected to statewide office in the United States.  She also would have been one of the most centrist or left-leaning Republicans:  Although she became disillusioned with her former party, the Democrats, she claims she still shares its professed stances on social issues and human rights.  However, she explains, she disagreed with the party on issues of taxation and business development, which led her to become "non-partisan".  Soon she realized, however, that "non-partisan candidates rarely win elections", which led to her decision to run as a Republican.

In all, the sum of her stated positions is more palatable to me than that of most other Republicans.  On the other hand, you have to wonder just how much to trust someone who joined a party just because she thought it would make her more electable.

 

Can Someone Explain?

For all of my libertarian leanings, I never could understand Log Cabin Republicans.  All right, I take that back:  If the ones I've met are typical, they are--like the Romney/Cheyney/ Bush the Elder/Reagan wing of the party, concerned only with themselves.  They've made money and don't want to be bothered with anyone who hasn't--unless, of course, they can dupe is into helping them with their work.  A group of LCR's tried to do just that to me once, at an event in the LGBT Community Center of New York.  I told them something to the effect that I wished I could afford to be one of them, but that even if I could, I don't think I would join them. 

Then, of course, there is the Tea Party element.  I don't know how any gay or lesbian can align him or her self with them, but I hear there are such people.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised:  It also has people who have gotten and want to keep, and want to slam the door behind them.  (I must say, though, I've yet to hear of a gay or lesbian say that climate change or the Ebola outbreak are God's vengeance against gay people.)

Whatever motives a gay man who looks like he just stepped of the pages of Gentleman's Quarterly has for being a Republican, I don't think very many trans people share them.  In fact, I can't think of any reason for any trans person to vote for any Republican, even the ones who profess their support of same-sex marriage or other forms of equality for LGBT people.  Too many other policies in the GOP platform work against us.  I wonder whether the "gay-friendly" Republicans can see the inconsistencies in their platform.

But, I suppose, some trans folk are smarter than I am.  Or, at least, they can rationalize things I can't.  One of them is, apparently, Lauren Scott.  She is trying to unseat an incumbent Democrat assemblyman in a blue-collar district of Sparks, Nevada. 

What's really striking, though, is that she worked on John Kerry's Presidential campaign in 2004 and has a picture of herself with Vice President Joe Biden on her website.  

I wonder:  Did she get rich since then?  Or is she doing something trans people were advised to do in the days of Christine Jorgensen:  abandoning her past and re-inventing herself?  If she's doing that, why does she have the photo with Biden on her website?

Some things, I'll just never understand.