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OPINION FLATHEADBEACON.COM

LIKE I WAS SAYIN’ Kellyn Brown
TWO THOUGHT
FOR Local Topics,
Opposing Views
A Familiar Path
Gay Marriage and the GOP

D
URING A JUNE 2013 INTERVIEW WITH THE By Tim Baldwin
By Joe Carbonari
D.C. publication Roll Call, former Gov. Brian Sch-

weitzer made waves when he slammed the nation’s Years ago, most (if not all) states criminal- I believe that the granting of equal rights
capitol as a place with bad traic, worse weather and an ized homosexuality. If a Republican announced to homosexual marriage partners will prove to
oversupply of “frauds.” During the same exchange, when he was for decriminalizing homosexuality, he be positive for those directly involved, their ex-
asked whether it was accurate to report that he was close to would have been accused of being a “RINO” or tended families, and our society as a whole. The
jumping into the U.S. Senate race, Schweitzer said no, but the like. Those days are gone. As legal scholar bonds formed in a loving relationship are sta-
added, “That shouldn’t stop you. You know, it’s yellow jour- Richard Posner said, “sodomy laws should gen- bilizing factors to be welcomed and celebrated.
nalism. Say whatever you want.”
erate the same lack of concern as now defunct While there is no doubt that there are ben-

Oh, those yellow journalists. For those unfamiliar, yel- laws prohibiting adultery.” Over time, Republi- eits involved in the positive role models that
low journalism refers to sensational, or overdramatized, or cans have loosened on the subject.
are associated with more traditional relation-
distorted news. The term was coined during the newspaper No states criminalize homosexuality now ships, similar beneits can be had through the
wars between William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulit- because we do not see homosexuals as threat- natural exposure to friends and family that oc-
zer II in the late 1800s.
ening to society – experience perhaps being the cur over the course of a child’s upbringing. And
Schweitzer is not shy about criticizing the media, es- greater teacher. The trend of treating homo- there is no denying that many “traditional” but
pecially Fox News and MSNBC, which he referred to in a sexuals equally as heterosexuals is increasing dysfunctional relationships are anything but
December 2012 interview with The Montana Pioneer as to the point that Republicans holding executive edifying for both the children and the adults

“Shout TV.”
oice are not defending laws that ban gay mar- involved.
“They are places where the far left and the far right try riage – Virginia’s attorney general being the It is diicult for two individuals to get along
to inluence the middle electorate . and that’s not news,” most recent and notable example.
in close proximity to one another over an ex-
Schweitzer told the newspaper. “That’s yellow journalism So, will the GOP self-implode if it supports tended period of time regardless of whether
. that is propaganda. And that’s where a lot of people get gay marriage as some claim? I don’t think so.
they are married or co-habiting, gay or straight,
their information.”
Republicans are increasingly acceptant of childless or not. It is not for me to challenge
During an October 2013 interview with the Billings gay marriage, partly because they do not want another’s predilections as long as that person

Gazette, when Schweitzer was one of the rotating hosts on government preventing adult contractual rela- does me or society no harm.
CNN’s “Crossire” show, he again took a shot at the other tionships, they do not see traditional marriage As for the role that gay rights may have in
two major cable news networks. “I don’t aspire to be on being threatened by what homosexuals do, and our national politics, I am optimistic. Liberals
Fox or MSNBC,” the former governor said. “They’re hair they see economic beneits. If our history of de- on this issue are generally accepting and inclu-
on ire. You’re always wrong. You’re always right. At CNN, criminalizing “immoralities” is an indication of sive. Those conservatives that are not are faced
they want to have longer form discussion so it’s not just how people view government’s role on social is- with the type of decision that has widely appli-
talking points.”
sues, it seems inevitable that banning gay mar- cable ramiications. They must decide what is
Last week Schweitzer conirmed that he was joining riage will one day be seen in the same way we see worth ighting for.and be ready to sufer the

the liberal leaning MSNBC as a contributor and that the criminalizing “immorality”: a defunct law.
consequences if they lose. May God be with us.
network would be building a studio at his home on George- GUESTCOLUMN | JesseO’Hara
town Lake, from which he would appear once or twice a
week. Everyone has the right to change their mind and Sch- Extremists Anoint Themselves Arbiters of the Party
weitzer vowed to scrutinize his own party in his new role.
“When Democrats have it wrong, I’ll say it,” he told the As-
sociated Press.
“The legitimate object of government, is to do for coming a fringe party, misaligned with the needs of
But it’s also interesting that Schweitzer, who has been a community of people, whatever they need to have the electorate and incapable of sustaining a majority.

discussed ad nauseam as a potential presidential candi- done, but cannot do, at all, or cannot do, so well, for Extremists work to have us believe the Liber-
date (and hasn’t done much to tamp down the speculation) themselves – in their separate and individual capac- tarian fallacy that all government is evil. In their
is following a similar course other candidates have before ities.” This quote is from Abraham Lincoln, the irst words the only test to be used when judging a bill is,
him, although many of their paths bisected the conserva- president representing the Republican Party. Lin- “Does this bill increase or decrease the presence of
tive Fox News.
coln goes on to say that he considers public schools, government?” A question like, “Does state govern-
In the run-up to the 2012 presidential election both for- infrastructure and the machinery of government to ment have a role in ensuring the availability of rural
mer House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylva- it into this category.
healthcare?” never enters their minds.

nia Sen. Rick Santorum were contributors at the network. If we compare Lincoln’s words to the purity The Republican Party I began with would never
Fox News eventually suspended both as their intentions to standards implied in the recently released Montana gut Montana services so brutally that classrooms
enter the race became apparent. Gingrich, ironically, now legislator’s voting record hit piece, concocted by are crowded, schools are shuttered, roads aren’t
works for CNN.
former legislator Roger Koopman, we would have to paved, predators walk the streets, rural healthcare
A former politician contributing to cable news shows, conclude that Lincoln was an “undocumented Dem- disappears, and infrastructure collapses. Extrem-
and newspapers for that matter, is not unusual. And, in a ocrat” and that he should have been “purged” from ists seem willing to do so. They just avoid reveal-
way, it’s a good match. While former governors and mem- the Republican Party.
ing their plans to the people. Extremists are steal-
bers of Congress have healthy egos, so do the organizations Somewhere along the way extremists have ing the Republican brand, moving Montana toward

where they end up working.
anointed themselves the arbiters of all things Re- D.C. gridlock and chaos.
Erik Wemple, a media columnist with the Washington publican. The failed leadership team of Sen. Art Our party’s shift to the extremes is being accel-
Post, recently published a roundup of news outlets “im- Wittich and Sen. Jason Priest, along with their erated by out-of-state dark money. Dark money is an
plausibly praising colleagues” as once-in-a-lifetime lead- mouthpieces Sen. Jef Essman and Sen. Edward organized, dangerous enemy that spends millions
ers. Here’s a small sampling of the dizzying collection:
Walker, illustrated their 10-year plan to purge the polishing their message to maximize voter appeal.
A Washington Post new hire: “One of the smartest, most party in a series of leaked emails. Other extremists Sound bites such as “smaller government” or “more
original journalists of her generation.” A Politico writer: have proposed candidate “purity tests” further lim- freedom” are proven favorites. Lost in the allure of

“One of the most exceptional journalists of his generation.” iting the electorate’s choice in elections, often re- the sound bite is the responsibility of detailing real
An MSNBC journalist: “A leading voice of her generation.”
cruiting Libertarians to run as Republicans to fur- solutions to real problems.
Those are some bold descriptions, and some of them ther drive their agenda. Extremists engage in this The Republican Party cannot return to great-
certainly deserve credit for their work. But it’s at once duplicitous behavior because they recognize it’s ness in Montana by falling for this extremist dogma.
doubtful that this generation somehow has the best jour- their best chance for a successful coup.
It is not proper or wise for Republicans to simply
nalists of all time. Conventional wisdom suggests that me- I have been active in Republican politics for ive denigrate and disparage. Realigning ourselves with
dia, especially cable news, is as polarizing as ever.
decades. In the most recent decade, the extremists the solutions approach of President Lincoln is the
In previous interviews, Schweitzer largely agreed with have begun to pursue a hyper-partisan policy of di- irst real step in winning back our brand. The Re-

that. But like so many politicians before him, he decided to visiveness while formally rejecting the beneits of publican brand I support and respect.
join a media organization anyway.
statesmanship and compromise. We now risk be-
Jesse O’Hara is Great Falls state representative.