The truly big news today was over in Arkansas.
Where you have a republican governor from a southern state, a very Conservative state, a very hard right winged religious faith based state, a full on anti Obama state, when you have republicans in leadership roles begin to talk of tolerance, justice, fairness, openness, and acceptance of gay rights or more so their acknowledgement that gays have rights.
Now, that is a real mind blower.
And a major 180 to be noted.
Until now, those so strongly opposed to gay rights and marriage rights, had a solid companion within the far right republican party supporting their anti-gay agenda.
Should that support from right wing faith based republicans start to turn, what then?
To whom would or could those anti gay homophobic folks turn to seeking support and comfort with their homophobic agenda?
I've said it all along. I believe most gays are very Ronald Reagan hard right conservative mined at heart. They tend to be better educated and higher income'd. Personally conservative in their private lives. And while gay, very straight forward and realistic when it comes to financial planning and decision.
In short, they sound and act republican.
The problem until late was that hard right conservative republicans we so insistently anti gay. And that forced gays and lesbians to turn against the republican party for the more accepting democratic party.
More accepting socially, however not necessarily in tune with their conservative philosophy.
Should what happened in Arkansas with republican leadership become the new trend, open acceptance despite religious objections, if republicans can find the ability to separate the two, that would be major development in attitude.
If republicans can begin to separate their religion from social judgment, that might be the opening conservative minded gays have been waiting for.
Where gay people would begin to relate more so to the republican party, over the democratic party.
Could Arkansas become the turning point?
Here we have a republican governor, from a very conservative state, listening and moved by his own family member, rethinking social issue without weighing both solely by religious faith.
If indeed the governor was earnest with his thoughts, and not simply driven by fears of economic impact, if the governor indeed has had a change of heart, that is the real news story of the day.
And this could be the beginning of a national trend for republicans that the democrats should fear.
And should democratic leaders fear such a shift in attitude within the republican party, what does that say about the Democrats?
Could that prove democrats have always fed upon that fear held by minorities?
Proving democrats were embracing that fear all along solely for the sake of benefit?
The times, they are a truly changing.