Post-Orlando: A House Divided

A depressing measure of how divided this country has become is our collective response to the Orlando Islamic anti-gay terrorist attack.

After 9-11, we became remarkably united as a country.  Yes, there were those who said we did something wrong to provoke 9-11.  But they were a small minority, despised when not ignored.  The unity we experienced in the weeks after 9-11 was perhaps the most we’ve had in this country since the 1950’s.  People put flags on their cars.  Texans were in solidarity with New Yorkers.  Non-church goers even suddenly went to church!  I could go on, but words would fail.  You had to be there to know and to grasp the heady atmosphere of unity and patriotism of the time.

But now?  We have roughly 40% of the country and the party now in control of the White House saying the problem is guns and the solution more gun control.  Some were also so eager to blame Christians and Republicans that when the shooter turned out to be Muslim and Democrat, they blamed Christians and Republicans anyway! At the same time, their leaders can barely bring themselves to say “radical Islam” or “Islamic Terrorism.” 

And we have roughly a very much other 40-50% of the country saying the problem is Jihadist Islam, and the political correctness, associated timidity, gun-free zones and too loose immigration enabling attackers.  And they see politicians of the first group importing and releasing Islamists and other criminals while trying to take away the right of Americans to defend themselves against the Islamists and criminals they are importing. 

And the two groups are at each other’s virtual (and increasingly actual) throats.

You can guess what group I’m in, but that is beside the point.  We have become a profoundly divided country often angry more at each other, at enemies domestic, than at enemies foreign.  And the contrast between 9-12 and today illustrate that all too well.  I’ve had acquaintances remark that once they got their necessary online business done, they were getting off the internet, the conflict is so toxic.

I think defending ourselves against Jihadism will prove easier than functioning as one country with our divisions.

I hope I am wrong.  This honest post from a gay man is a ray of hope.  It begins:

This is the saddest day of my life. I can't even wrap my mind around the horror of what happened last night in Orlando, where 50 joyful dancing queers were murdered by a religious extremist. I'm sad -- devastated, in my soul -- about that; but I'm also sad that the events of Orlando have shattered my political beliefs, as I can no longer swear allegiance to a peace-love-and-unicorns progressive philosophy that only helps to get my fellow queers killed.

Do read the rest.  And do pray for the United States.  We need it.

This will not end well.

Last night was yet another episode of Leftists directly attacking the rights of Americans and completely getting away with it.  Leftist thugs, mostly of the Black Lives Matter ilk, pretty much shut down a DePaul College Republican event with Milo Yiannopoulos as the main speaker.  And that while security, which College Republicans and Breitbart News were forced to pay for, just watched.

Well, there was one arrest . . . of a Breitbart News cameraman. 

Of course, last night also brought a violent Leftist protest at a Trump appearance in New Mexico.  But at least the Albuquerque Police made a good faith effort to stop them.

Elsewhere that has often not been the case.  The Black Lives Matter crowd has particularly been handled with kid gloves even as they block traffic on major roads.  I remember one such episode in which police just watched as Black Lives Matter blocked off traffic.  But when a driver very slowly tried to get through, he was arrested!  (Sorry.  This has been some time back and I cannot find the episode online.)

Things have gotten so bad in this country, I hesitate to make predictions for fear I will be seen as inciting something.  But I will allow my logical readers to put two and two together.

You have Leftists who time and again directly attack the Constitutional rights of Americans, particularly free speech and freedom to travel, especially necessary travel to work, etc.  And you have millions of Americans who are fed up with their rights being attacked and who see that the authorities not only do not defend their Constitutional rights, but also attack said rights themselves.

The episode at DePaul is that in a microcosm.  To my knowledge, not a single Leftist was arrested.  The Leftists were allowed to shut down freedom of speech at an event.  But a conservative journalist was arrested!

Some Americans may see numerous episodes like this and think that the authorities will not defend their rights, so they will have to defend their rights themselves.

I’m afraid soon the two aforementioned groups of predatory Leftists and fed up Americans will meet in great numbers with . . . consequences.  And by “soon,” I mean at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Really, the Republican National Committee was foolish to pick Cleveland for the convention.  Cleveland is a DemocRAT hole.  Can that trashy city government be trusted to defend Republicans – Trump supporters especially – from the Leftists who will surely flock there in the thousands?

Hey, Cleveland, you don’t like me calling you out?  Then prove me wrong.  Prove you are willing and able to defend the rights of the Republicans coming to your fine city.

So in Cleveland, you will have a combination of predatory Leftists, fed up Americans, and a city government who probably doesn’t care much about defending the rights of Americans, especially Republicans.  If the Trump people want their rights genuinely defended, they may find themselves having to do it themselves.  And some understandably won’t be in the mood to be gentle about it.

Again, I would rather not spell out what that might look at.  But this pattern of Leftists directly attacking our rights and authorities doing precious little about it cannot end well.

Trump Brown Shirts Target Colorado GOP Officials

As much as I dislike and distrust Donald Trump, I should say at the top that a lot of good people are supporting him.  They know the current direction of this country is self-destructive, and they are trying to do their part to turn us around.  Now these good people are in part mistaken; Ted Cruz is a much better and more proven man to oppose the Washington Establishment and restore America, and Trump is not to be trusted.  But these are good people nonetheless.

Having said that, it has become more clear that there is at least an element of Trump’s support that are Nazi-like in their tactics.  And Trump heretofore has done little to discourage them in their predations.

The latest and perhaps most egregious example of that is the harassment and threats against Colorado Republican Party officials.  Trump did not organize well in Colorado at all.  Cruz did and therefore skunked Trump fair and square.  But Trump cried fraud and foul and . . . mainly he cried like the sore loser he is. 

And his rhetoric encouraged scum to post the home addresses of officials and to harass and threaten them.   The Party Chairman has received over 3000 calls including death threats.

The conduct of Trump and his camp has gone so far beyond common decency, I hesitate in how to characterize it.  It is not only concerning; it is alarming.  Personally, in light of how unhinged some of Trump’s supporters are, I am beginning to take precautions.  But more importantly, we all need to protect this country and defeat Trump and defeat him quickly.

Sorry if I am terse.  But seeing so many Trumpistas – and Trump himself – act like Leftists has honestly floored me in recent weeks.

Team Trump, Sore Losers

I was surprised twice last night.

First, I was pleasantly surprised by the margin of Ted Cruz’s victory in the Wisconsin Republican Primary.  I expected him to him handily, but the large margin of his victory surprised me (48.2% - 35.1% with all the precincts in).

Second, I was not so pleasantly surprised by the unhinged reaction by Trump and his sycophants.  There was the official campaign statement which continued the “Lyin’ Ted” routine, which accused Cruz of election fraud for the ninth state now . . .

States where Team Trump has accused Ted Cruz of fraud:

• Iowa
• Texas
• Colorado
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana
• Kansas
• Maine
• Utah
• Wisconsin

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) April 6, 2016

. . . which called Cruz “worse than a puppet,” which . . . .  Hell, just read the awful statement for yourself.  Has Trump never heard of a gracious concession?  Does he really expect Cruz people to ever support him when he continues and escalates this crap?

As for his sycophants, Twitter became even more of a theatre of the absurd last night.  If you can stomach it, examine the feed of one @DaGodfather907, for example . . . carefully.  The gentleman is so unhinged, I am not directly linking him myself.  Last night, he repeatedly compared Cruz to Hitler.  When I called him out on it, he blocked me after a nutty reply.

And if you think he is a one off with 30 followers, he has over 44,000 followers (although I do wonder how many followers of him and other Trumpbots are real).  And I have unfollowed and blocked a number of other Trumpkins who have crossed lines.

Please don’t take this as a comment on all Trump people; I know and respect some good ones.  But last night brought out an element of derangement in Team Trump that goes beyond just being sore losers.

Republicans Must Behave at the Convention . . . ALL Republicans

Yes, there has been a lot of talk about what might and/or should transpire at the Republican National Convention this summer.  But just about all that I have seen or heard has been biased toward either Trump or the GOP Establishment.  I have a more balanced viewpoint, and an entirely correct one, of course.  Plus I enjoy annoying everyone.  So here goes.

Trump and His Trumpistas Must Behave at the Convention

If Trump earns through the primaries and caucuses the majority of delegates, then barring some serious new revelation of turpitude, he should be the nominee.  Fair enough.

BUT if he falls short, then he is not entitled to the nomination.  And if the majority of the delegates, those not pledged to Trump, refuse to nominate him, Trump and his crowd have no reason to complain.  That’s politics and democracy, people.

In other words, if Trump does not earn the majority of the delegates before the convention, then no crying (or rioting) from the Trump crowd. . . . 

Yes, that might be as likely as a 2 year old not whining.

The Establishment Must Behave at the Convention

Establishment Republicans need to recognize how profoundly they were voted down in the primaries even if they remain clueless that they richly deserved said thrashing.  If you combine the votes for Trump, Cruz, and Carson, it is clear the overwhelming majority of Republican Primary voters have voted against the Establishment.  The Establishment in turn must have the grace to accept that, for the first time since Reagan, this year they do not get to have an Establishment nominee.

Again, the likelihood of that is questionable.

Trump and Cruz will control a strong majority of the delegates.  So even in a brokered convention, I think it unlikely the Establishment will be able to nominate one of themselves.  Trump and Cruz will combine to block it and will be right to do so.

However, if somehow the Establishment succeeds in cramming a Ryan or a Romney or a Bush down our throats, it would be a disaster in November.  Too many would refuse to vote or would vote Third Party.  The Establishment winning this battle outright would mean losing the war, and they had better recognize that. 

Now if Trump does not have a majority of the delegates going into the convention, trying to get a better nominee is fair game.  But trying to get an Establishment nominee after primary voters have made it clear they do not want one would be spitting into the faces of voters with predictable consequences.

Everyone Must Behave at the Convention

The most likely outcome still is that Trump gets the nomination although that is by no means a certainty.  Although Trump is not the most desirable nominee (And remember that I have never backed him.), there is hope that he would be a tolerable President.  There is no such hope for Hillary.  So all parts of the party should get behind him should he be nominated.

And Trump and his followers should be gracious to all but complete and public turncoats . . . beginning now.  No more “Lying Ted,” Donald.  And his followers need to drop the attitude that anyone not yet backing Trump is a not a “Patriot” and is a “cuckservative” etc.  I’ve already blocked two on twitter and unfollowed more because I’m fed up with that crap.  Trump and his followers need to stop alienating people like me who might hold their noses and support him to stop Hillary.

Have I annoyed everyone yet?

Has Trump Peaked?

Briefly, two matters in the Republican Nomination race over the week that I think are not getting enough attention:

1.  Ted Cruz not only had a good Super Saturday handily winning Kansas and Maine and more delegates than Trump, he is now well within 100 delegates of Trump.  The count as I type this is Trump 384- Cruz 300.  And Trump has less than half of the delegates awarded so far.

Yes, Trump appears to be on the verge of winning Michigan and Florida.  But all the media noise early last week that Trump had it all sown up was mistaken.  Yes.  Shocking, I know.

I could mention other positive indicators for Cruz, such as his doing much better in the Louisiana Election Day vote than in the early vote.  But moving along . . .

2.   The media is missing how much Trump offended voters with his conduct during the latest Republican debate Thursday night.

Trump crossed the line when he repeated taunted Rubio as “Little Marco” and Cruz as “Lying Ted.”

Take myself as a barometer.  I do not like nor trust Marco Rubio and probably would vote 3^rd Party if he somehow got the nomination.  But when Trump did his “Little Marco” act, I was greatly offended.

I don't like Rubio. But this "Little Marco" stuff from Trump is garbage. #FoxDebate

— WannabeAnglican (@WannabeAnglican) March 4, 2016

And when he repeatedly mouthed “Lying Ted,” I went incandescent.  Moreover, I went from probably voting for Trump in November if he got the nomination to being very doubtful.

By his classless conduct, I think Trump alienated and is alienating too many of those who might otherwise vote for him.

By the way, Saturday proved me right about what I said during the debate.

Ted Cruz just nailed fraud Trump but good. Bet he gains on Trump after tonight. #GOPDebate

— WannabeAnglican (@WannabeAnglican) March 4, 2016

And so he did.  We shall see if he can overtake Trump.  Do not be too sure he cannot.

John Cornyn, SHUT UP

So John Cornyn told CNN that nominating Trump would make it more difficult for Republicans to hold on to the Senate.

I had better step back from the keyboard and take a long, slow breath.

…

Okay. Let’s see.  Who is John Cornyn? He is the Senator from Texas who is part of Mitch McConnell’s leadership team.  As such, he is part and parcel of the strategy, if you can call it that, of enabling Obama instead of stopping him.  The Senate under that team time and again ignored the mandates of the 2010 and 2014 elections to stop Obama and instead pretended to oppose him while doing precious little to stop him.

The anger provoked by the Senate GOP’s willful failure is a big factor behind the rise of Donald Trump.

And NOW Cornyn warns us about Trump?  Cornyn warns us about the monster he helped create?

But there is still hope, however faint, of stopping Trump.  And that hope is Cornyn’s fellow Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz.

But does Cornyn endorse Cruz?  No.  He couldn’t even bring himself to endorse Cruz after early voting.  Cornyn is too much of a RINOy establishment RINO to do that.

But he lectures us about Trump after he enables his rise and doesn’t lift a finger to support his fellow Texan and Trump’s strongest opponent.

Shut up, John Cornyn.  Just shut up.

And if Republicans lose the Senate, look in the mirror for the culprit, bud.

The Revenge of the Unrepresented

This past weekend, a new online Texas newspaper began publication – The Paper Trail.  I was honored to be asked to be one of their writers.   Yes, they are brave.

My first missive for The Paper Trail was something of a primer on why American politics are so bizarre at the moment.  Enjoy “The Revenge of the Unrepresented.”

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If you are reading this new and erudite newspaper, you make a point to be informed.  So you may have noticed that these are odd times in politics.  What, Trump the Republican frontrunner for President while Jeb! languishes in the single digits?

But I can make matters simpler to understand, if still odd.  We are experiencing the Revenge of the Unrepresented.  Our English friends some 240 years ago found out the hard way that taxing people without representing them may not evoke a happy response.  Today’s Washington establishment politicians are finding out the same thing, yes, the hard way.

Rewind to 2010.  Obama was determined to cram Obamacare down our throats in spite of half or more of Americans clearly not wanting it.  In January, Massachusetts elected a Republican for the U. S. Senate largely because of opposition to Obamacare.  Yes, Massachusetts.  That’s not an autotypo.

Yet Obama and Congressional Democrats ignored that warning shot and marched forward in passing Obamacare.  The result was a historic political bloodbath in the November 2010 elections, handing the U. S. House and any number of state houses to the Republicans with a clear and simple mandate – Stop Obama.

But that teary-eyed orange-skinned drunk Republican Speaker Boehner and other RINOs did little to stop Obama and instead enabled him.  And that included funding, of all things, Obamacare.  Thus the Republican establishment joined Democrats in virtually ignoring the 2010 elections.

Fast forward to 2014.  Again Americans gave Obama’s Democrats a good pasting at the polls, handing now the U. S. Senate over to the Republicans.  Again, Republicans had a clear mandate to Stop Obama, particularly on the presenting issue of defending our borders and restraining illegal immigration.

But, again, Republican leaders did little to stop Obama and again enabled him, including on immigration.  In fact, Congress, with the support of the establishment Republican leaders, just voted to fund Obama’s illegal immigration programs.  (And when I say illegal, I mean both the programs and the immigration are illegal.  I would say “illegal illegal”, but that would make me appear to be ranting, not to mention ungrammatical, God forbid.)

So, yet again, about half the country finds themselves utterly unrepresented by either party.  This is not only bad policy; it is stupid politics particularly on the part of Republicans.  It is asking, nay, begging for trouble.

And then here comes trouble with funny hair.  And in his very announcement speech for President, he came down hard on illegal immigration to the point of being crude and unrealistic to put it nicely…

And millions loved it.  Immediately, Trump had high poll numbers, and they have gotten higher.  Finally, millions found that someone powerful seemed to represent them on illegal immigration and other issues.  (Note I wrote, “seemed.” I will leave aside the question of whether Trump should be trusted.)

Now are there more sensible ways to fight the establishment of both parties who are so intent on not representing Americans?  I certainly think so.  That’s why I support Ted Cruz, by the way.  But is there a more clear way than Trump to give the establishment of both parties an affectionate one finger wave? 

And, yes, Americans are that angry at the political establishment.   Not just Trump’s numbers reveal that.  Here is what I see looking at the Real Clear Politics poll averages as I write this in early January.  Anti-establishment candidates (Trump, Cruz, Carson, Paul, Huckabee, and Santorum) have a combined 68% support among Republicans.  Jeb!? Just over 4%.  In desperation, the establishment wing of the GOP is turning to Rubio, but he polls only 11.5% compared to Trump at 35% and Cruz at 19.5%.

Can it be any clearer that a lot of people out there are angry at being unrepresented by the establishments of both parties?

So I’ve got a 2016 prediction you can add to the zillions you’ve heard already ‘cept mine is better.  2016 will be the Revenge of the Unrepresented.   One result will be the nomination of Donald Trump this summer or the defeat of Hillary Clinton this November. 

And do not be too shocked if it will be both.

Paul Ryan’s Betrayal UPDATED

This may be short and somewhat stream of consciousness.  I lack the time and energy to get my arms completely around what a massive betrayal Speaker Paul Ryan’s Omnibus spending bill is, especially on immigration. But I have to say something at least. Didn’t Ryan promise not to cram his open borders views down our throat when he was elected Speaker?  Yet that is exactly what he is doing.

Yet with all the funds for a FOUR TIMES increase of foreign worker’s visas, for “refugees”, for “dreamers”, and for welcoming all manner of invaders right on in, Ryan could not be bothered to fund the border fence we were promised almost ten years ago.

This demonstrates why Trump is popular.  Twice, in 2010 and 2014, the American people elected Republicans to stop Obama, including on his immigration invasion.  Yet Republican leaders turn around and give Obama almost everything he wants.  Is it any wonder so many Republicans want to give the GOP Establishment the finger in the most obnoxious way possible?  Republican leaders screw the American people and then expect more support from them.  The Republican base is finally saying NO to that deal.  Heck, this deal practically helps elect Trump.

And don’t underestimate the anger over this Omnibus betrayal.  Yesterday I called my congressman’s office and gave the poor staffer an earful.  I don’t think he is so foolish as to vote for this, but if he is, I will be done with him and cut a check to his primary opponent.

And uglier things can happen when political leaders refuse to listen to the people.  Or, worse, pretend to listen to them to get elected then knife them in the back once in office.

God help us.

And this monstrosity just passed the House as I typed this.

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UPDATE:
Here is the full roll call.

I'm glad to see my congressman voted "No".  

Bob Dole Demonstrates Why the GOP Establishment is Hated

But when I was a faithful and active Republican Precinct Chair for eight years, I oft heard local establishment party leaders lecture others involved in the party to “support the ticket” with implications of blackballing if they did not.  And I did, working hard, including for Bob Dole in 1996.

Fast forward to today.  The same Bob Dole is stabbing conservative Republicans in the back, saying if Ted Cruz is the eventual Republican nominee, he “might oversleep” on Election Day.

Really?  If the choice is between Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz, Dole might not even bring himself to vote for Cruz?

So us Republican base peons must support the ticket.  But Bob Dole can shoot his mouth off and undermine and threaten to sit out candidates the conservative GOP base prefers to his fave, Jeb Bush (of course).

And he’s not alone.  RINO Colin Powell endorsed Obama . . . twice.  Princess Lisa Murkowski not only did not accept the verdict of Alaska Republican Primary voters when they defeated her; she not only did not support the ticket; she then ran to keep her Senate seat as a write-in.

And I could go on.  But after conservatives like me have been lectured by the GOP establishment time and again to support GOP nominees – no matter how RINO they may be – only to see the GOP establishment turn around and stab conservative GOP nominees in the back, is it any wonder that so many of us now hate those establishment RINOs?

If the GOP Establishment undermines the eventual Republican Nominee for President if he is a conservative, they will hardly have a party left to boss around.  The Republican base is that fed up.

And, yes, RINO treachery is a factor behind Trump’s strength.  Again, I do not support Trump.  I like Cruz now FWIW.  But it is hard to think of a more emphatic way to give the GOP Establishment the finger than to support Trump.

If GOP Establishment RINOs want to blame someone for Trump’s rise, they can look in the mirror.

Do You Hear Us Now, GOP Establishment? UPDATED

There should not be any doubt about the Republican base’s frustration with and now rejection of the Republican Establishment and of their enabling of Obama and of illegal immigration.  But in case there is, the latest Fox Poll on the Republican race for POTUS should dispel it:

Trump         25%

Carson         12%

Cruz             10%

Bush               9%

I need not rehash all of Trump’s enormities and reasons not to support him.  (And I am not supporting him.)  But his numbers continue to be a big hairy finger raised at the GOP Establishment, particularly on immigration.  Really, GOP failure to do what the base elected Republicans to do – twice, in 2010 and 2014 – namely S.T.O.P. OBAMA, is the chief reason for Trump’s success so far.  But moving along . . .

In second is another non-politician, Ben Carson (who I think would make an excellent Veep candidate, by the way).  In third is the Republican senator who has most vociferously opposed the Republican leadership, even saying on the Senate floor that Majority Leader McConnell lied, Ted Cruz.  Anti-establishment heartthrobs all.

And in fourth with less than 10%?  The establishment fave, Jeb Bush . . . with less than 10%.

Do you hear us now, establishment RINOs?

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MORE: Maybe still the “GOP Establishment just doesn’t get it.”  But Elizabeth Price Foley does get it.  Like me, she is not a Trump supporter, but she understands well what is going on behind his support:

Oh, how the establishment loves to talk tough on immigration when it suits its purposes of ginning up conservatives on election day. But when a candidate comes along who actually wants to do something about the issue–and isn’t afraid to defy political correctness to do so–the GOP establishment suddenly cries foul, and brands him a fool, dictator, or police state zealot. The necessary implication is that the GOP establishment is all hat, no cattle on immigration.

No wonder increasing numbers of those who self-identify as Republican now openly abhor the party, and it totters on the brink of implosion.  But hey, I’m sure that’s all Donald Trump’s fault, right? Time for some GOP introspection.

Republicans Must Defend Freedom of Religion

The Supreme Court ruling requiring the legalization of same-sex marriage and the attacks on Christians who can not and will not participate in SSMs have made freedom of religion that much more of a presenting issue in this country.  Republicans had better get on the right side of this issue with more than words.  And that not only because it is the right side but also for their own political survival.

The conservative base support of the GOP has again and again seen Republican leadership sell them out, on Obamacare, on illegal immigration, on trade, etc. etc. Really, the GOP Establishment has stabbed conservatives in the back again and again.  Will they do so even on freedom of religion?

It is not for nothing that support for Donald Trump is high, second among GOP candidates at this writing.  He really should not be doing well.  He should be a joke, and he is in some ways.  But he is at least putting on a good show of fighting for conservative American citizens and their values and even getting angry about what is going on in this country.  There are a multitude of Republican candidates for POTUS but how many are so sharing in the anger of the Republican base?  The base is rightly feeling that precious few in politics are fighting for them - and some are desperate enough even to look at Trump.

Patience is running out - the base is fed up with GOP and its quisling establishment leaders.  If now the GOP cannot bring itself to do something as basic and American as defending the religious freedom of its base and of all Americans, that will be the last straw.  Further, if the GOP nominates a candidate for President who is tepid in defense of Freedom of Religion (not to mention the rest of the Constitution), the base will not turn out for him and may even go Third Party as I’ve warned before.

So allow me to amend my headline: Republicans must defend freedom of religion . . . or else.

How to Proceed Now?

I should warn that this post may ramble a bit as I am still trying personally to get my arms around what my response should be to Friday’s gay marriage judicial coup.  And not just what my response should be, but the response of states, churches, religious institutions, and all citizens because the ruling undercut the constitutional rights of all of these.

And yet the responses of all these should not all be the same.  For one thing, states are not churches.  Yes, I love Texas, but it is not a church.

Also, there is a difference between what an entity has the right to do and what would be wise to do.  My initial response was that states should defy this ruling.  And states most definitely have the right to refuse to give away their rights under the Constitution.   But now I am not so sure defiance is the wise way to proceed.

If states do attempt to defy or even nullify this ruling, they should beware that it will be misinterpreted as being homophobic (Yes, I hate that word but anyway.…).  The Democrat News Media will be only too eager to portray it as a repeat of the Southern defiance of the 50’s and 60’s.  At the least, state defiance would not unify.  It would further polarize and divide the country and defiant states would likely be on the politically losing side of the divide.

I say this with some reluctance as the lack of defiance of judicial coups such as this one and Roe v Wade enable judicial tyranny.  But I suspect there is a better way at this time.

As much as I hate to agree with establishment Republicans*, I think a better and wiser way for states and concerned public officials to proceed is to buttress protections of freedom of religion.

*(I do think the words of establishment Republicans such as Lindsey Graham and John Kasich advocating protections of freedom of religion are just words.  When the time comes for real action, they will fold like a cheap tent.  See Indiana.)

Although rolling back judicial tyranny is vital, that is a long-term project that cannot be done tomorrow.  But measures to protect freedom of religion can be taken up and passed relatively quickly . . . and should be passed quickly given that attacks on religious freedom have already begun.

Yes, there will be resistance to these measures and vetoes even, but that may be good in the long run.  For the fight for freedom of religion is one that can be won politically.

Although it is questionable whether a majority of Americans really support freedom of religion anymore, it is certain that, say, at least 35 to 40% do so and strongly.  And if the issue is presented to them effectively, they would willing to turn against those opposing freedom of religion.  Yes, I think this could pry many votes from the Democrats and even a few from those who support gay marriage and motivate the conservative base to turn out.

Perhaps that seems optimistic now.  But I expect events will strengthen and motivate support for religious freedom.  There will be more and more attacks on freedom of religion as Pink Shirts and other assorted Leftists attempt to punish those who do not submit to the new gay marriage regime.  Lawsuits against businesses and churches will multiply.  Some governments and regulatory bodies will also demand submission or else, regardless of deeply held religious convictions.  As the heretofore scattered attacks on religious freedom become numerous, more people will be appalled and angered and will see the need to protect freedom of religion.

Think about where this issue would then put someone like Hillary Clinton.  She would have a choice between enraging the Leftist base of the Democrat Party by supporting measures to defend freedom of religion or between enraging Middle American by opposing freedom of religion and not taking up for those under attack.  (By her past record, I think she will choose the latter.)

IF Republicans are not cowards on freedom of religion, they could put Democrats in a bad place.  Yes, that is a big “if”.  A lot will depend on whom they nominate for President.  A Scott Walker would be willing to fight for freedom of religion and lead the GOP in doing so.  A Jeb Bush?  Not so much.

But in short, defending freedom of religion is an issue on which we can succeed – and the need for success here is urgent.

Yes, I have rambled as I warned.  But I think defending freedom of religion is both more urgent and politically wiser than direct defiance of the Supreme Court ruling.  And it could turn out to be a more effective way of eventually rolling back judicial tyranny as defeating Democrats (and establishment Republicans) is necessary to bring that about.

It at least is worth a try, is it not? 

Of course, I am also thinking about how churches and Christians should respond in the non-political sphere.  But this post is too long already.