Marriage: The Other Boy George Says...

It is astonishing that Mr Romney won the election among men by a clear-cut margin of 7 per cent; but it was Mr Obama’s 11 per cent lead among women that won it for the President, even though many of those that voted Democrat thought Mr Romney would manage the economy better. President Obama’s high-profile endorsement of equal marriage for gay couples also enthused younger voters. But polls found that a majority of all Americans supported him on the issue and voted for it in all four states that held ballots.

I should declare my personal position on these social issues: I wouldn’t change the current abortion laws and I strongly support gay marriage on principle. Of course in Britain these issues are ones of individual conscience and free votes, but I am proud to be part of a Government that will introduce a Bill to allow gay marriage. It is worth reflecting that in Britain, as in America, a clear majority of the public support gay marriage, and an even bigger majority of women support it. That majority support is just as high in the North as it is the South, and it is equally high among all socio-economic groups.

Successful political parties reflect the modern societies they aspire to lead. As Margaret Thatcher said in the first sentence of her introduction to the 1979 Conservative Election manifesto: “The heart of politics is not political theory, it is people and how they want to live their lives. 

George Osborne writing in The Times. 

Almost certainly the first time anyone has invoked Margaret Thatcher to support gay marriage.
Although this article is presented as being "In praise of Obama", it's more about how the Conservatives should learn from Romney's defeat.
Though unbelievably cynical, it's a victory of sorts that homophobia is now a vote-loser.
Further, when a senior politician goes public in support of or against a policy that's "controversial" within their own party, it's often a covert attack on a colleague.
Just putting that thought out there...

Update: Predictably critical - and lie-packed - editorial in the serial gay marriage-bashing Telegraph.

President Obama: Was It The Gays Wot Won It?

A cartoon from the Daily Telegraph - of all papers - revisits an all ready well-worn riff after Mitt Romney's defeat.
The slogans read; 'Go Obama!' 'Gays for Obama', and 'Gracias Obama' [click to enlarge etc].
Viz: The Republican party has alienated minorities who are now the majority, they must "modernise", and stop demonising "them" and start pretending to be nice, or risk dying on the vine.
Like what that David Cameron is doing in merry olde England.
To see how cynical and exploitative this is, read the Tory deputy chairman, Lord Ashcroft's "research" into why ethnic minorities don't like and don't vote for the Conservative party.
"This problem is costing it seats."
And here's Ashcroft in August arguing dropping gay marriage now would be a vote looser. 
That's how they see us - ballot fodder.

PS Some are citing a "survey" claiming 90% of The Gays voted for Obama (versus 6% for Romney). While the general trend is clearly true, this is extrapolated from a "panel" of a gay marketing group, CMI, so it's probably as reliable as any survey about The Gays by a gay marketing group, ie not at all fucking reliable.  

Thought For The Day: Matthew Norman

I am tempted, atheistically, to thank God that [Romney] has been denied the opportunity to start the third world war in Iran. But God – or the white supremacist version of those with no taste for the Sermon on the Mount – took a hiding Himself. Three quarters of weekly churchgoers voted for Romney, and roughly the same number of infidels for Obama. Among so much evidence of a monstrously divided electorate, that stands out. The Creationists, evangelicals and bible-quoting gay-bashers, who won it for Bush in 2004, have lost their power.

Matthew Norman, writing in The Independent. 

Bye then.

US Presidential Election: Apocalypse Now

If Mitt Romney becomes president it will usher in the Rapture - this is predicted in The Book Of Mormon.
Don't say I didn't try and warn you.

• Fagburn would like to stress that he thinks all religions are equally irrational and insane, and Mitt Romney's Mormonism is quite far down the list of reasons to despise this upper-class warrior.

Republicans Vs Thin Lizzy: Get Out Of Town

"I am really upset at Philip's music being used in Mitt Romney's campaign in a political way that Philip would not have approved of. As far as I am concerned, Mitt Romney's opposition to gay marriage and to civil unions for gays makes him anti-gay – which is not something that Philip would have supported. He had some wonderful gay friends, as indeed I do, and they deserve equal treatment in every respect, whether in Ireland or the United States.

"Neither would Philip have supported his policy of taxing the poor and offering tax cuts to the rich, which Paul Ryan is advocating. There is certainly no way that I would want the Lynott name to be associated with any of those ideas.

"There is nothing I can do about it except express my views, but I do want to be clear that I would not want Philip's music to be used in any way that could hurt a single person, and this is the effect of what happened with Paul Ryan using and abusing my son's music in that way. A lot of fans and musicians are very angry about it and I can fully understand why.

"There is a black President of America, which to me – as it would have been to Philip, as a proud, black Irishman – is wonderfully symbolic. I have a lot of time for Barack Obama, so to hear 'The Boys Are Back in Town' being appropriated by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in their campaign against him is deeply upsetting."

Phil Lynott's mum, Philomena, on Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back In Town being used to soundtrack the Republican convention. 

Quoted in Hot Press.

You'd think Republicans would have learnt by now that if they try and hijack Rock music, it'll turn round and bite them on the bum.

The New Yorker: When Mitt Met Paul

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan getting it on in the New Yorker. 
Guess this is going to be as big a cliche as David Cameron and Nick Clegg's Brokeback bromance.
Snore...