Bigotry

Tommy Thompson has no problem with business owners firing people for being gay.

Wow.

It's not often you stare into the face of naked, unapologetic bigotry. It's breathtaking.

UPDATE

AMERICAblog reports Thompson says now that he misunderstood the question. As John points out, though, he answered the question as it was asked quite clearly, and when the moderator followed up with, "so the answer is 'yes,'", Thompson responded, "yes."

I think it's just a case of being sorry he let everybody know his true feelings.

In the comments section, Ashley writes that the alternative to letting employers fire people for being gay is having the "thought police" keep those employers from doing what they want to do with their own money.

I hardly need to point out that this is the same argument that has been used to justify employment discrimination against women, blacks, religious minorities, the disabled, and anybody else who isn't a physically-fit, white Christian male.

It is obvious as well that if the phrase "gay workers" in the moderator's question had been replaced by the word "blacks" or "women" or "Jews", that Thompson's answer probably would have been different. In certain circles, however, blatant homophobia is still quite fashionable. And by "certain circles," I do mean "The Republican Party." The dehumanization of gays and lesbians is, in fact, one of the GOP's most reliable get-out-the-vote tactics. Need to get the base to the polls? Put a gay marriage ban on the ballot.

This was the dynamic at work last night when Thompson answered that question. I don't know what was going through his mind during that four-second pause, but I suspect it was something like, "Oh, God, the base... what do I say to keep from losing favor with the base?"

Whatever his personal feelings might be, Thompson is running for president in a party that has no use for nuanced positions on the rights of homosexuals. You have to be for them, or against them. And if you're for them, you have problems in the Republican Party.

UPDATE II

CNN reports as well that Thompson is backing away from his public expression of bigotry:

Republican presidential candidate Tommy Thompson apologized Friday morning for saying in last evening's debate that private employers should be allowed to fire gay employees because of their sexual preference.

[...]

In a telephone interview from O'Hare Airport, Thompson told "American Morning" that he "misinterpreted" the question and should have asked to have it repeated.

"That's never been my position," Thompson said, said adding that discrimination isn't acceptable.

So, what did he think the question was?

MODERATOR: Governor Thompson, same theme - if a private employer finds homosexuality immoral, should he be allowed to fire a gay worker?

THOMPSON: (FOUR-SECOND PAUSE) I think that is left up to the individual business. I really, sincerely believe that that is an issue that business people have got to make their own determination as to whether or not they should be.

MODERATOR: Okay, so the answer is "yes?"

THOMPSON: Yes.

What did Thompson think he was saying should be "left up to the individual business?" In the audio clip CNN is playing on the air, there is no followup question.

The explanation is nonsense, and any thinking person should be able to see that.

Interestingly, though, the question and Thompson's answer illustrate perfectly the gulf separating the Republican Party base from the rest of America. They illustrate also the dilemma facing any GOP politician running for national office. They cannot win their party's nomination without capitulating to a fringe minority whose views are so far out of the mainstream that they can't even be spoken without horrifying decent people. Literally. Thompson was paralyzed for those four seconds because he knew that he couldn't answer the question without completely alienating one of two groups: the GOP base; or everyone else in America. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

The bottom line with Thompson is that he's either a bigot or a liar who is willing to scapegoat gays and lesbians in pursuit of an inhuman political agenda. Either way, he is unfit for high office.

Of course, it's not as though he had a chance to become president in the first place.