Alabama House Minority Leader, Craig Ford, Stands With GOP On Marriage Equality?

People are entitled to their (hateful) opinions, but the fact that Ford has a (D) after his name does not mean he speaks for the party in Alabama or anywhere, for that matter. He speaks for Craig Ford, and doesn't always want even that much on the record.

Ford is undoubtedly pandering to the religious right in Alabama. He will find that most of those folks are hide-bound members of the other party, and disagreeing with the national Democratic platform (which I am SO EXCITED to get to vote for at the convention) will not get them to switch. Ask Artur Davis how far "siding with the GOP" gets you.

I am by no means suggesting anyone revoke Ford's party membership - but he needs to bear in mind he speaks for himself as a member, not as the party.

(and thanks, as always, for bringing this piece of AL politics to us through LiA - sometimes I think we don't say "Thank You" enough!)

"If guns kept America safe, then America would surely be the safest country in the whole world." - Rep. Carolyn Maloney

Choice A) Ford can support marriage equality and have zero chance of winning in 2014. That is just a fact. Nobody is going to win the governorship of Alabama supporting marriage equality at this point in time. The polling shows it. The election results have shown it. The people just aren't there yet.

Choice B) Ford can use this to distance himself from the national Democratic party and give himself the best possible chance to win in 2014.

While that might sound cynical, it's a realistic assesment of the situation. However, there is a great big caveat. Even if Ford is perfectly aligned with Alabama voters, his "best possible chance" to win in 2014 is probably not much more than zero because he has a (D) after his name. Now, his argument might be that he needs to do stuff like this just to win re-election to his house seat. Maybe so.

I still think the best thing to do on this and abortion is not to say a damn thing until Republicans really push it too far. Leave being outspoken on this issue to folks in safe districts with nothing to lose like Patricia Todd.

The best thing would be for Rep. Ford to stay quiet on this issue.  :-)

There are so many better ways he could have issued a statement - if he really felt a burning need to do so....

Something like: 

"The Alabama Democratic Party is a diverse coalition of people who care about the future of Alabama.  Speaking for myself, I do not support that plank in the national platform, but know and respect many people who do. But look: gay marriage isn't what's hurting Alabama families.  Our middle class families are suffering under the rule of a GOP supermajority more concerned with handing tax breaks to business & the wealthy than in supporting education, strengthening local communities, & protecting our children & elders.  If the Republicans think they can hide their own failures by blaming gay Alabamians, then they need to think again."

As I noted in Dr. Abston's diary, I've supported candidates who are opposed to marriage equality.  That's not a deal breaker per se.  But I do not support candidates who brag about their support of discrimination and use it as a campaign issue to rough up minority groups - be they gay, Muslim, immigrants, etc.

Rep. Ford hasn't crossed that line yet.  And I sure hope he doesn't.

That'll win an election amongst the knuckle-dragging neanderthals.  *eyeroll*

Let's be serious this the same crap that was allowed in Birmingham during the most recent municipal elections cycles especially the mayor's race, where homophobia is thrown around.  It's given the nod-and-wink because it's a black person and the big taboo is "don't say that to them because you might spook the voters towards your opponents if you don't do otherwise".  It also sounds like George Wallace's copeout on why he was a venomous outspoken racist for 3 decades because it was the opportunist thing to do win an election as an apology to black Alabamians back in the 1980s.  Sorry, I'm not buying what you are selling, bluebearcat.

Craig Ford could have picked up a big ass cup of STFU on this but decided he was the "self-annointed head of Alabama Democrats" (doesn't that sound like ol' Joe Reed, hmmm...) and said "we aren't here for same-sex unions".  I don't care and he has already proven in the past 18 months he is a moron that panders to the lowest common denominator in the Alabama, simple-minded white Alabamians that dislikes anything atypical to their myopic worldview and loves their guns.  Then again he was apart of the coalition that basically told Patricia Todd to "STFU and take it!" and the same to non-white Alabamians in general.

He would make an excellent Governor of Alabama, NOT!  He would be the 2014-version of Ron Sparks, opportunist extraordinaire.  Alabama Democrats need to get it together because this is not "it".

http://blkindependent.blogspot...

But he's not entitled to speak for "Alabama Democrats," many (if not most) of whom are just fine with the new marriage equality plank in the platform.

This is the reason I thought Ford was a terrible choice as Minority Leader -- he is in a vulnerable district so he will always be tempted to follow the Republican lead, not the Democratic one.  That's what he's doing on marriage equality, following the Republican lead. 

And by the way, the Republicans will have to ditch their opposition to marriage equality, probably sooner than later, because public opinion is shifting our way, especially with younger voters.  The GOP has a problem with younger voters and their smart pols know they'll have to jettison some of the homophobic baggage soon or become totally irrelevant.  Where will the Craig Fords be then?  Buck your party to toe the GOP line, then watch the GOP move the line for political expediency.

Where do I stand on marriage equality?  I stand with those who demand equal rights and respect for all.  Unfortunately, Craig Ford isn't standing with me, but I know I'm in really, really good company.

Rep. Ford needs to begin choosing his words much more carefully.  If he meant "Democratic Caucus" he should have said that.  But I believe he would find a significant level of support for marriage equality even in the Democratic House Caucus.

This is about rights and equality, not about who you're having sex with.  Ford should have and could have injected words about that instead of parroting the Republican line.