Fiery debate continues in one of the mostly hotly contested Congressional races in the country between incumbent lock step Democrat Scott Peters and “New Generation Republican” candidate Carl DeMaio.
Both candidates have been busy fighting for those coveted moderate swing voters. This has left some Republican and Independent voters struggling over a home for their vote between DeMaio, Peters or none of the above. Enter RepublicansandindependentsforScottPeters.net, followed by an explosion of controversy.
The fight, it seems, lies in part in the continued national debate over Constitutional conservatism and a battle over differing visions for the future direction of the Republican Party.
National radio host Mark Levin has been talking this week about the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear appeals on the issue of same-sex marriage. “The complexities that flow from same-sex marriage are infinite, what happens when there is a conflict between religious liberty and now a constitutional guarantee to same-sex marriage?” he said.
Local conservative and faith leaders in San Diego signed on to a letter that in part reads, the goal of the LGBTQ movement, “is to impose their views upon us, with the intent of abolishing our rights to freedom of religious conscience, coercing us to affirm homosexual practice and to forever alter the historic, natural definition of marriage.”
The letter continues, “Allow us to be clear, in court cases all over America, it is now overwhelmingly evident that religious liberty and the radical homosexual agenda can not co-exist. Authentic biblical believers are losing their right to the first amendment expression whenever the homosexual agenda gets its way.”
Although signers advocate a vote for Peters, they don’t demand it, “Please note that we understand that some will be unable to cast a vote for either candidate.”
A website has been set up in support of the move to vote for Peters at RepublicansAndIndependentsForScottPeters.net
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the Family Research Council (FRC) and Citizens United released a letter that put Republican leadership on notice of their ‘active opposition’ to DeMaio, but stopped short of supporting Peters: http://media.citizenlink.com/Letter-GOP-Leadership-09-22-14.pdf
One of the Republican leaders specifically addressed in the letter, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, will be stumping and fundraising for DeMaio in California this Saturday, Breitbart reported earlier this week.
Local Republican activist Eric Andersen posted a response on San Diego’s Rostra political blog. He argues against voting for Peters and that if one candidate was to be argued for on morality, that Carl would win. Andersen goes on to say he is not advocating for either.
DeMaio advocates for the “New Generation Republican” on his website, “in the last few months I have met with and heard from thousands of people across the country who are excited by this “New Generation Republican” approach. I believe I can be part of big change in Washington.”
In April, Fox News’ Dana Perino advocated for DeMaio, citing hypocrisy among the LGBT community. Perino said, “with his 100 percent voting record with the LGBT community, the Left still didn’t speak up to defend him.”
Perino went on to say, “DeMaio recently told me that he believes he represents the majority of Republicans.” She asserts, “Most of the Republican Party has moved, however incrementally, beyond the parochial issues of race, gender and sexuality.”
Democrat Pollster Pat Caddell shared his view of the future at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last March, “in absence of serious reform, the Republican Party will ‘go the way of the Whigs’ as another coalition rises up for the American people.” Continuing, “You cannot continue to suppress the dissent in America which is what the political establishment of both parties does.”
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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