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Republicans Replace Real Debate with Hillary Diversion

You have to hand it to the Republican spin machine. It is well-oiled and switches gears without so much as a sputter. Republican voters and the media gladly get on board. They don’t seem to realize they’re being taken for a ride. In a CNN/YouTube Republican debate Wednesday, retired Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr, a gay man, asked the presidential candidates why they thought American soldiers were not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians. It turns out that Brig. Gen. Kerr is associated with Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign, serving on the candidate’s steering committee on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, and is one of 48 national co-chairmen of Veterans and Military Retirees for Hillary.

So what? Brig. Gen. Kerr told CNN’s American Morning yesterday that he had decided to ask the question on his own, without prompting from the campaign. He is a registered independent voter in California, and he told American Morning that he has not actively participated in Hillary’s campaign and that he has in fact contributed to Republican campaigns this year. It’s clear to any rational observer with a passing knowledge of politics that names appearing on political lists of prominent LGBT leaders are most often merely a symbolic gesture. But even if the general had been put up to it, is the question any less relevant? With our military stretched across two wars and showing the strain, it’s important to ask the “pro-military” party why they continue to force dedicated, highly trained soldiers out of service because they were asked, they told or they were pursued. Watch Brig. Gen. Kerr’s response on CNN yesterday:

Is there anything wrong with opposing parties asserting a change of subject in another party’s debate? First of all, it is refreshing to see Republicans pushed off their “guns, God and (anti)gays” talking points. What our political process needs is a little less polish, a few fewer focus groups and a lot less spin.Yet, when Republicans ring the Hillary bell, the national pundits become nothing more than salivating Pavlovian dogs ready to attack. The pundits and the media who pay them talk about Hillary, not about our irrational, discriminatory policy on gays in the military. Don’t think about the hate and homophobia mixed in our conservative cake. Taste the delicious icing. And Republicans, the media and the right-wing blogosphere take a big bite.

In response, Democrats get defensive. They fall for it every time. Rather than redirect the debate back to the point, they legitimize the spin by responding to it. Democrats, wake up and grow a spine. Don’t dignify Republican diversion by getting distracted with it yourselves. If you don’t, it’s going to be a long, painful election year.