op-ed
Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD.
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November 04, 2004

No less than a day after granting President Bush a victory, the religious right base of the Republican party is busy explaining why the mandate of "moral values" trumps jobs, the economy and the war in Iraq.

If Bush's base paid attention to White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan yesterday, they'd see they've been completely duped. President Bush has no intention of making "moral issues" the priority Ralph Reed sold them in exchange for votes. The Religious Right was used for their passionate religious belief that gays are America's #1 threat to their top priority of "moral values."

"Most Americans don't want to sit down and explain to their children why they live in a country where men can marry men, why there's polygamy -- because that would naturally follow, we would argue," Bauer said yesterday.

If two men could marry, so could three, four, or more, Bauer said. Moreover, he said, "textbooks could not talk about 'mothers' and 'fathers.' They could only talk about 'parents.' "

Not long ago, this might have been considered a somewhat fringe viewpoint, a trifle alarmist -- "polygamy" just isn't something you hear people talking about in Washington political circles -- but gay marriage now seems essential to any conversation about the 2004 election. The exit polls pointed to a huge boost for Republicans from voters who said their biggest concern was "moral values."
[A Victory for 'Values,' but Whose? - Washington Post - 11-04-04]