In Elite GOP Fundraiser Rubio Questioned by Gay Donor
In public and behind closed doors, 2016 Republican presidential candidates are being put on the spot on an increasingly tricky issue: same-sex marriage.
The issue has become a source of friction within the Republican Party, as more socially liberal donors and corporations clash with conservative activists and other opponents of same-sex marriage. Marco Rubio was the latest GOP candidate to field this question at a private fundraiser with party elites in Washington on Wednesday night.
One donor identified herself as gay(Tx.GOP Rep.Sara Davis) and asked the Florida senator to state his position on same-sex marriage during a question-and-answer session, two attendees who were in the room told CNN.
Rubio stuck to his conservative position: He said he
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| GOP-Rep.Sara Davis (photo FB) |
Rubio stuck to his conservative position: He said he
believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, though he said individual states can choose their own policies related to same-sex marriage.
Rubio spokesman Alex Conant declined to comment.
The interaction highlights the complicated balancing act Republican presidential candidates now face, as they must defend their social views to political donors while avoiding inconsistency in their public statements.
Republican officials have struggled to adapt to the country's changing views on same-sex marriage. Just this year, contentious debates over the so-called "religious freedom" laws in several states also exposed a growing rift between socially conservative Republicans and big business, which has historically backed the GOP.
Some of Rubio's fellow presidential aspirants have run into some trouble on the issue.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, was forced to reaffirm his position last month after it was reported that the presidential candidate seemed to have softened his view in a private gathering of donors. (Cruz had told supporters that he would love his daughters just the same if he learned that any one of them was gay, The New York Times first reported.)
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has also been scrutinized for his statements on same-sex marriage. In one recent interview, Bush, who has not yet officially launched his presidential campaign, stood by his opposition to same-sex marriage, stating that he doesn't consider it a constitutional right.
A gay businessman who hosted the New York City fundraiser for Cruz faced fierce backlash from the gay community and ultimately issued an apology for holding the event for the Texas senator, calling it a “terrible mistake.”
NOTE: This type of rich donors fundraisers is done by all political parties.That is why the rich is so powerful because they give and latter when the need arises the phone call is put through and on the other end it will be expected that there would be a listening, sympathetic ear. If elections were funded by the public then the rich donors will loose power in theory and it will go to the public. There would be no need for an election to last two years for candidates running and getting enough money for commercials and expenses.
If the public funded the elections we could take the sample of England again and limit the amount to running the election to months instead of years.This would be a more democratic structure than what we have now. But nothing will happen if the voters don’t put a stop to it. If the public will spent less time complaining about everything to do with too many trees to not enough bike lanes this time and effort could be invested into a democratic political system, then we would have one. If you want to make a difference this would be a good endeavor to take on.
West Coast FB Distributor: Jeremy Hale
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