Huckabee compares being gay to using alcohol, profanity

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Sunday said being gay is akin to choosing to drink alcohol or use profanity — lifestyle choices he says are appealing to others but not to him.

The former Baptist pastor, who is weighing a second run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, also claimed that forcing people of faith to accept gay marriage as policy is on par with telling Jews that they must serve "bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli." That dish would run afoul of kosher rules in the same way Huckabee sees asking Christians to accept same-sex marriages.

"We're so sensitive to make sure we don't offend certain religions, but then we act like Christians can't have the convictions that they have had for over 2,000 years," Huckabee said.

Huckabee has made cultural issues the cornerstone of his likely White House bid. The former Baptist pastor is counting on social conservatives and evangelicals who have great clout in early nominating Iowa to help hi

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Huckabee-compares-gay-marriage-to-alcohol-6055199.php

[mackerel]

1. Using alcohol and profanity?!? Where do I sign up for this Gay thing?

[JDDavis]

2. You can do it right at home in front of your computer!

Just go to your refrigerator and pull out a beer, and go back to your computer and swear at the Huckster.

Bam... you're gay now!!!

[onehandle]

17. I'm drinking a pour of B&B and fucking enjoying it!

Teh Gay Rocks!

[RKP5637]

3. This guy is a total bigoted moron! n/t

[Thinkingabout]

4. The more he says the worse it gets, either he needs to say same sex marriage is ok or just shut up.

[calimary]

12. Keep talking, huckabooboo! Keep talking!

PLEASE!!! Keep talking!!!!!! Let's hear ALLLLLLL your damn bile and willful ignorance and 6th-Century thinking! Every last lousy moth-eaten, shit-stinking, Bronze-Age sliver of it! EVERY BIT!!!!!!!!!

Every time he opens his yap, and I hope it's FREQUENTLY, he just reminds a large section of sentient America how frickin' Neanderthal his side is.

I hope he splinters off and forms his own knuckle-dragger party! And runs for prez independently! And spoils the whole works for the CONS at the end of next year! Hell, I might even contribute to that!

[JDDavis]

5. This man is obviously a product of 1800's education,

which extended into whatever Southern state he grew up in well into the 20'th century.

This poor excuse for a man will make millions echoing the hatred and bigotry based upon ignorance, and he will never win the Republican nomination, but I bet he's got two or three more million-copy books to be written and published to take him through a comfortably rich old age.

People like the Huckster disgust me. My friends in the UK wonder how he ever could have been elected to a state governorship in the USA. I tell them they don't know how bad the educational system is and how bigoted the religions are in the Southern US states.

[mackerel]

6. I was thinking he was a product of homeschooling education.

[Cryptoad]

7. Somebody need to inform this Fool,,,

that if he truly believes he can at will be sexually aroused by another man. he is in fact a homosexual or bisexual. geeez

[LAGC]

16. +1

Every single homophobe is a closeted bisexual.

They're the only ones who truly think it is a choice.

[MADem]

38. He thinks if he keeps saying "Ohhhhh noooooo-that's BAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!" that repetition will make it

so!

It does seem as if he's protesting a bit too much....

[William Seger]

42. It does sound like Huckabee chooses not be be gay, one day at a time. (nt)

[ColesCountyDem]

8. The former SOUTHERN Baptist pastor.

There are many Baptists who are not batsh*t crazy dominionists.

[JDDavis]

9. A perfect example of false equivilency here folks:

Read it and see how religious leaders do this to us all the time and get away with such logical fallacies.

claimed that forcing people of faith to accept gay marriage as policy is on par with telling Jews that they must serve "bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli."

Firstly, no one is forced to serve anything in their restaurants, deli's, food shops, whatever. They can run their business the way they wish. Some places don't serve alcohol, some don't serve tea or coffee. Some don't serve pork, ham, bacon. Those are free choices of the owner.

"accept gay marriage as policy"

A public policy allows for eating of pork, ham, bacon, etc, or drinking of alcohol, or coffee or tea. No one is forced to eat or drink it, or even serve any of those items in their restaurant. Likewise, no one is forced to marry a person of the same gender. It's an option for those who want to.

See the false equivilency here?

Religious folks: I'm sure 99% of DU membership here sees the logical fallacies this Huckster is using to instill fear and create a crisis when there is none. No Jewish deli I know of in any city sells bacon wrapped shrimp, but maybe some do because they want to, I just don't know. But none are forced to, never will be. Similarly, no one has to marry a person of the same gender unless they want to.

Huckster: destroyer of logical arguments. Fear monger, all in an effort to make a few more bucks by being a popular figure among the monumentally educationally unsophisticated and already fearful among American voters.

[NYC Liberal]

10. The correct equivalent would be businesses being able to refuse to serve non-Jewish customers

Which they can't do. And if your religion requires you to discriminate then you don't get to run a business (which is not a right but a privilege).

[JDDavis]

19. I once went to a Kosher deli for Sunday brunch.

My Jewish buddy just advised me not to try to order bacon and eggs.

I think it was an interesting brunch, but I chose to go there, just for the experience.

No one got arrested or fined, it was a mutual choice for all involved.

Just like gay marriage, I think.

[Moonwalk]

21. Actually what he's saying is that they're being forced to "serve" gays not marry their own sex....

It's still a false equivalency, but both involve "serving" what they don't want to serve so you can see how it kinda-sorta made sense to him and to his audience

[christx30]

37. They are being forced to accept that

two men or two women get married. That is their objection. "I don't want to acknowledge that the two of you are in a relationship."
But I want to shake them and say, " it's not about you. Your opinion on someone's marriage doesn't matter."

[Moonwalk]

52. In their view, they're being forced to do more than that...

...in their view, they're being forced to treat gays as equals--and their homophobia says that gays should be erased from the planet, not to be treated like equals. So (let's face it) what they're really objecting to isn't men marrying men, women marrying women. They're objecting to the fact that the law and society is no longer on their side in regards to killing men who love men, and women who love women. The law and society isn't even on their side in forcing such men and women to remain lowly outcasts.

Which is why they're screaming about their rights and freedoms being infringed. In this case, the right-wing-Christian baker can't say to a gay couple, "I won't do your wedding cake..." because he/she objects to homosexuality (presumably on religious grounds, but we know it's just homophobia). But if Huckabee sorts had their way, that baker could not only say that, but also say the same to anyone they objected to for any reason. An Islamic, a Jew, a black person. Even someone they didn't feel was Christian enough.

This isn't just about being forced to accept gay marriage. It's a last ditch effort to shove gays back in the closet, to make them "go away" again. This is always the end play when such people are forced (by the law and society) to acknowledge those they hate as equals (Jews, Blacks, women): "You may be allowed to play ball with us, but I'm not throwing the ball to you!" Unfortunately for them, if they are a public business, the law won't let them get away with such behavior.

[TwilightGardener]

11. Huckabuck really isn't worth paying attention to.

He's an entertainer/celebrity like Palin. He's going exactly nowhere.

[Bluenorthwest]

36. His long career in Republican politics and media suggests he's not like Palin. Back in the 90's he

was running for President and calling for relocation camps for people with HIV. Let me know when Sarah has sustained 20 years of rhetoric like that.

[NYC_SKP]

13. I welcome the confirmation that I and all my friends have been gay all along.

And I'm not opposed to "bacon-wrapped shrimp" in my deli.

Sounds like a win, Huck should STFU.

[phil89]

14. So he's historically illiterate.

Interesting.

[Liberalagogo]

15. WOW

Guess who will NEVER EVER be a US President?

Go crawl back in your nasty hole, Fuckabee.

[Tom Ripley]

18. he really is a dumbass

No one could pretend to be that stupid

[elleng]

20. 'lifestyle choices he says are appealing to others but not to him,'

meaning he does not choose his lifestyle, it is forced upon him?!

[davsand]

22. What do you suppose he equates to having a higher level of pigmentation than he does?

Asshat.



Laura

[BigDemVoter]

23. That's interesting. . .

I LOVE to swear and drink. . . . AND I'm gay. . . . He can compare until he shits bibles. Stupid ass.

[SoapBox]

24. I tire of...

Straights that lecture about gay.

...of course, with apologies to my very good and understanding straight friends.

[Padiddle]

25. Huckleberry is drunk on delusion

And I'm an ally for LGBT rights, so I say "fuck Huck."

6 more dirty words to go.

[truthisfreedom]

26. Ruining the repuke party one comment at a time.

The party of alienation.

[Earth_First]

27. Yes, but drinking makes me STUNNING!

...and one HELL of a karaoke star!

Bartender...I'll have another!

Huckabee = Fool.

[summerschild]

28. What a clueless toad......

[Skittles]

29. Skittles compares being Huckabee to being a stupid, homophobic, sanctimonious nitwit

[demigoddess]

30. Oh, I get it, I should vote for him because he is so stupid

that he doesn't know anything about genetics, science or just plain human experience!!

[IronLionZion]

31. Why does he spend so much time thinking about gays and Beyonce?

does it affect his life in some way?

And why does anyone's religious beliefs have to be a basis for any policy? People came to America to get away from state-mandated religions.

[jmowreader]

34. It almost sounds like he's got a boyfriend and a collection of Beyonce records

[TlalocW]

32. Bacon-wrapped shrimp is one of Ron Swanson's favorite foods

I wonder how he'll feel knowing that they're the same as gay marriage.

I'm sure there are a lot of Christians who don't feel the same way, but I guess Huckabee doesn't count them.

TlalocW

[lunasun]

33. I actually had some religious person tell me being gay is just like alcohol ism

Must be one of their standard hate sermons they preach to the moral morons

[davidpdx]

35. Huckabee is trying to appeal to the stoneage portion of the Republican Party

When words aren't possible for a response to such bullshit, post a clip from The West Wing:

[yurbud]

39. another variation of the GOP dilemma: they can energize their knuckle dragger base or win the

presidency.

They can't have both anymore.

The swing voters won't fall for another W.

[yurbud]

40. problem with the deli analogy: no one will force you to SELL gay marriage

they just have to tolerate it, they don't have to advocate or participate.

[jamzrockz]

41. I rarely see this sort of misleading title in the media

That is actually not what he said. He was trying to make an example how you can be friends with x person while not tolerating x's behavior. In this case x can be subbed for gay, alcohol drinker, classical music fan etc etc. He's actually not saying what the article wants you to believe hes saying. Quite frankly, this is the most tolerant statement regarding gay people I have heard from a christian right republican and yet CNN turns it into the OP headline.

If you think I am lying, then listen to it yourself

&x-yt-ts=1422579428&x-yt-cl=85114404

This is one reason many people are turning away from cable news.

[Jamastiene]

46. Even after hearing it from his own mouth,

it is still not ok. The fact that you are fine with it says loads. I won't alert you, but if you do get alerted, I wouldn't be surprised. Most of DU likes gay people. How can you defend what he said?

[jamzrockz]

49. Alert me for correcting the headline

Sorry but the headline and article took his word out of context. Yes, his version of Christianity does not condone gay lifestyle so he was trying to give an answer as to why even though its against his religion, he can still be friends with gay people. If that is what gets ppl alerted on DU then DU will end up becoming a place for misinformation. He clearly did not suggest what the headline and article said he did and all I did was correct that.

I am all for gay marriage and I have no problem WHATSOEVER with what he said. I know he is a christian and his holy book wouldn't let his believe anything different. I am ok with that too.

[Jamastiene]

50. There is no "lifestyle" to being gay.

We live in the same places, shop at the same grocery stores, and put our pants on one leg at the time just like straight people. Some of us even like fishing.

The fact that you don't have a problem with what antigay bigots say speaks volumes.

[jamzrockz]

53. I meant lifestyle

in the same way a straight person having man vs woman sex is living a hetero lifestyle or way of life. Didn't mean to offend by using that word. Also what word should I use instead of lifestyle?

Also I said I did not find anything wrong with what he said in the video not what the very misleading OP article think he said in the interview. I have watched it 3x now and I still can't pick out the offending part.

Also you can tell this was a smear title/article because he chose alcohol drinker and profanity user instead of "Huckabee compares being gay to liking classical music........" Sorry but misleading article is misleading, you have to call it out when its done to the opposition so you have some credibility calling it out when its done to your side.

[freebrew]

43. He doth protest too much...

is this the only subject he can talk about?

He obviously doesn't believe in the separation of church and state. What does he think the term 'all men are created equal' means? To anyone but the idiots, the same-sex marriage 'problem' isn't one(a problem), it should be a right.

Run Huck, Run...

[Orsino]

44. These things are alike...

...in that Huck doesn't understand or cope well with any of them.

[Jamastiene]

45. I've used alcohol and profanity

and I love women. Trust me. No amount of cuss words or alcohol are as good as cuddling with a woman I'm crazy about. There is no comparison.

Of course, people like him make me want to drink every time they say something stupid like that, but I would die of alcohol poisoning before 8:00 am on the day I decided to try that. If I cussed every time they say something stupid, those would be the only words I would be able to use most days.

I live in the Bible Belt where too many people think things like that and worse. Some of the things I have heard people say and seen people do down here in regards to gay people should be considered criminal. In more civilized countries, those types of things are considered criminal, without question. The only western world country that seems to have such a huge ass problem being dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th Century (we are that far behind) is America.

So, instead of letting them get to me, I have decided that they don't know what the fuck they are talking about and I am going to enjoy the company of wonderful women whether they fucking like it or not.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

47. The good Reverend needs a good flock

I think it might help to loosen up that super uptight nature.

[They_Live]

48. He certainly is obsessed with being gay

I've noticed.

[ZombieHorde]

51. I hope young people are hearing this and will remember when they get older.

I know young people don't vote very much, but I hope he is permanently turning the next generation of voters against the Republicans.