News

Log Cabin Urges Republican Party to Return to Core Principles

Sen. McCain Received Record Support from Gay and Lesbian Voters

November 5, 2008

(Washington, DC) – After an election with major losses for the GOP, Log Cabin calls on our Party to get back to basics. "After big losses in Congress, it is obvious George W. Bush's presidency seriously damaged the Republican Party's brand," said Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon. "The GOP has to figure out what it stands for, reclaim our hopeful message, and rehabilitate the Republican brand. In order to do that, we must return to the unifying core issues that brought our party to power in the first place."

Exit polls show Sen. John McCain received at least 1.3 million votes from gay and lesbian Americans - more than any other Republican Presidential candidate has ever received. He garnered 27% of the gay vote, an increase from 19% support for President Bush four years ago.

Even though Democrats picked up about 20 House seats and 5 senate seats, most Log Cabin allies won re-election. Almost 75% of our endorsed House and Senate candidates won last night. Sen. Susan Collins easily won re-election in Maine. Congressman Mark Kirk from Illinois also was victorious. Unfortunately, long time Log Cabin ally Chris Shays narrowly lost re-election. Sen. Gordon Smith's race in Oregon remains too close to call.

"George Bush and the economy clearly played the biggest roles in last night's Democrat victories. President George W. Bush led our party astray and trampled the GOP's conservative principles," said Sammon. "Log Cabin is going to be in the middle of the fight for the GOP's future. Out of this defeat, we have an opportunity to rebuild the Party on inclusive conservative and libertarian principles such as limited government, fiscal restraint, personal responsibility and freedom. Like Ronald Reagan, we must focus on kitchen table issues, not divisive social issues. We need to be a party of the future, not a party of the past."

"Inevitably, social conservatives will try to push the GOP further right on the divisive wedge issues that caused our Party to lose focus on its core principles in the first place," said Sammon. "Their intrusive big government ideology drove our Party over the cliff. Going further right on social issues will turn the GOP into a regional party only competitive in the South and Midwest. Instead, we must become a more diverse Party appealing to conservatives, libertarians, and moderate voters."

"If so-called social conservatives want to use gay and lesbian families to take the GOP further to the right, our Party won't be able to compete in the Northeast or the West. Young voters will continue to move left. An increasingly diverse population is going to be turned off by the GOP for years to come. Now is the time to rebuild our Party. Log Cabin looks forward to being an important part of that effort," said Sammon.