Color them conservative.GOP presidential hopefuls scramble to appeal to the party's most antigay factions If you thought the Republican Party could not get any worse on gay issues, think again. Early entrants in the 2000 presidential sweepstakes are falling over each other to earn the support of antigay voters who control crucial early primaries. Former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, U.S. Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. , wealthy publisher Steve Forbes For the boxer, see . Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes Jr. (born July 18, 1947), is the son of Malcolm Forbes and the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. , former vice president Dan Quayle James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947) was the forty-fourth Vice President of the United States under George H. W. Bush (1989–1993). He unsuccessfully sought the Republican Party Presidential nomination in 2000. , ex-American Red Cross president Elizabeth Dole, and former Family Research Council president Gary Bauer Gary L. Bauer (born May 4 1946, Covington, Kentucky)[1] is a conservative American politician notable for his ties to several evangelical Christian groups and campaigns. In 1973, Bauer received a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University. are vying to inherit the mantle of Pat Buchanan  This article may be too long.Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series. , the zealously antigay campaigner who made strong showings in the primaries in 1992 and 1996. The early front-Framer, Texas governor George W. Bush, who has yet to announce his candidacy, has drawn fire from the announced candidates for describing himself as a "compassionate conservative." Alexander called the term "weasel words," and at the January 21 meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Bauer, surrounded by supporters in BAUER POWER T-shirts, declared he was the only "Reagan Republican" in the group. For Bush, the term "compassionate" apparently does not apply to gay men and lesbians. A top Bush aide said the governor would support legislation barring same-sex couples from adopting children or becoming foster parents. "Governor Bush believes that the best home for a child is in a traditional home with a mother and a father present and should be the first choice for a child in need of a home," a Bush spokeswoman told the Houston Voice January 21. "It is an example of George Bush pandering to the right wing," said Dianne Hardy-Garcia, executive director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. "We have told people, that we shouldn't expect anything from George Bush. He has never been a stand-up stand·up or stand-up adj. 1. Standing erect; upright: a standup collar. 2. Taken, done, or used while standing: a standup supper; a standup bar. guy for our community." At this point it appears the same could be said for the entire GOP presidential field. |
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