To me, this is non-news. For one thing, I thought everyone knew he was gay. For another thing, who cares about Ken Mehlman anymore?
Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently, he said in an interview.
He's 43. It's 2010. In other words: I don't believe him. He just "arrived at this conclusion"? I think he's trying to attract publicity to himself right now for whatever reason.
He agreed to answer a reporter's questions, he said, because, now in private life, he wants to become an advocate for gay marriage and anticipated that questions would arise about his participation in a late-September fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the group that supported the legal challenge to California's ballot initiative against gay marriage, Proposition 8.
Okay. So there's the reason. He wants to be politically active now and needs some leverage. But why would admitting that you are gay — arriving at the
conclusion that you are gay — when you are an American in 2010 and 43 years old bring you any
credit? It's pretty lame.
"It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life," said Mehlman, now an executive vice-president with the New York City-based private equity firm, KKR.
See? It's lame.
"Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago."
Journey? Oh, I hear the dog-whistle. He's calling the Oprah crowd.
Family, friends...
supportive... he wants Democrats, women, etc., to care about him. Don't hate me because I'm/I've been a Republican. Love me, because I'm gay, and oh! how I've anguished in the company of Republicans.
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87 comments:
Nothing has created a bigger yawn for me than this "news" but the fun will be when those on the left now attack him for being self hating,, betrayer of the cause..etc etc etc.
People having midlife crises do stupid things. This is his red Corvette.
I hope he has a happy life. Perhaps he'll find a nice partner, and try to marry.
"Ken Mehlman comes out."
Who's Ken Mehlman? And why should we care?
Well yes. No news here. Move along folks....although Faux Noise has already covered it as has Faux Radio...
film at 11. sheeesh
Yeah, I had the same thought. "This is news?" I can't remember exactly where I read he was gay, but it was while he was RNC chairman.
...not to mention the press loves nothing more than a Republican just come out of the closet.
Are we supposed to believe that Democrats, as a party, have been more pro-gay marriage? That Democrats have worked to repeal DOMA? That Democrats didn't support Don't Ask Don't Tell?
Why do Democrats get such a pass on gay issues? Would working for John Kerry's election been personally more gratifying for Mehlman, or furthered the gay causes? I guess "no".
Ken Mehlman comes out
Missed the story. Did he come out swinging?
Well yes. No news here. Move along folks....although Faux Noise has already covered it as has Faux Radio...
I don't have any allegiance to Fox News, although I do watch O'Reilly from time to time.
But, HenHouse, what's the beef?
You want the party line, you go to the New York Times. You want to hear what normal Americans (including the despised Republicans in flyover country) think, you go to Fox News.
Is there some danger involved in airing what normal Americans think?
Well, yes, if you follow the "normal Americans are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, etc." party line. I gather, HenHouse, that you believe only the party line should be presented lest heretical ideas lead us further into racism, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, etc.?
Man, I've got to go back and pull up that bit you put up a few days ago about Muslims being just like Jews pre-World War II.
That was utterly, dismally stupid. It must have strained your brain. Well, I think it's more likely that you pulled that one out of your ass. Makes me wonder what sort of crap you think is real news.
So, tell us... what's the big news on the Bigot front today? The Bigot news is, I assume, the real news?
I don't watch Letterman these days - is he still on that show?
Not my problem. If he wants sausages instead of tacos, that's his business.
"....although Faux Noise has already covered it as has Faux Radio..."
So? What's that supposed to mean to me?
Since nothing actually forces us to feel the way we don’t like to feel, I’m curious that up until now he must have had a reason for feeling being afraid to be happy – to feel as he does now. Until now, I suspect he had not exposed or questioned his reasons. I’m curious as to what those reasons were. It seems he’s assumed someone else’s belief, affirmed it and re-created as his own. I would be interested to hear him reflect on that.
If he had admitted that he was a Muslim, then that would have been news.
Okay, TRIVIA QUESTION:
Who is the highest-ranking executive of the DNC who is out of the closet? We all know about Andrew Tobias, but is there anyone further up the food chain?
Meredith Baxter got a whole tv victory tour when she realized she was gay. After 3 marriages and 5 children, at the age of 55 she realized she was gay and had her first same-sex relationship.
Why are we so proud when some people come out, and so upset when we think others just didn't admit it?
I just noticed this:
How can he recently arrive at the conclusion that he is gay, while simultaneously wishing he'd come out years ago?
Maybe he means he wished he'd arrived at that conclusion years ago. I don't know, though. This sort of rhetorical straining tends to reveal calculation to me.
And of course, every gay person I've ever known knew they were gay around the time adolescence was in full swing. I don't know a single person who just "went gay all of a sudden" in middle age.
Anyone?
who just "went gay all of a sudden" in middle age.
Corvettes and busty blonds are so 1980s. "Going gay" is the new mid-life crisis response.
I think maybe I'll just get a 2011 Mustang instead.
You're gay if you accept it. If you don't, you're merely homosexual.
Corvettes and busty blonds are so 1980s. "Going gay" is the new mid-life crisis response.
I think I'll buy a Corvette. When my wife questions my extravagance, I'll tell her with a wink, "It could be worse!"
No one could have predicted this.
Don't stop believing.
I guess he is tired of Republican women tryng to set him up with women.
Now Republican women will try to set him up with men.
Time saver.
No news here other than the cognitive dissonance that so many Republicans seem to live with.
OK.
That sound of crickets coming from the Right must be driving HD & Company nuts. MayBee is absolutely correct, the Lefties will make far more of this than anyone else.
PS Thanks for the laughs, Paddy O and Suburbanbanshee.
PPS I didn't know he was, but, then, I rarely pay much attention to the RNC chair.
Ann Althouse said...
"So? What's that supposed to mean to me?"
I don't think my comment was toward you Ann. I have several news channels and radios on in my office in the morning to catch commercial airings...the story was covered on Faux both ways and not on the supposed MSM.
I posted it as an observation and to see what your new "base" comes back with....mission accomplished.
Ha Ha
HD admits he's trolling along.
LOL.
Meanwhile, the MSM need a meme to work on now that the "T-Party member stabs cabbie" fell through.
HenHouse, you still haven't responded.
Come on... You put up one of the stupidest comments yet posted on the internet... you know, that idiot bit about Muslims being the new Jews.
That was really a stinker!
What's your defense. Did you have a stroke?
Or, in the never ending struggle to define everything in the universe as the result of bigotry, was this the only available option?
You don't come to the realization that you're gay in your 40s. It's something you sense intuitively even before you're old enough to know what Gay even is. Good for him for coming out I guess, but whatever. Who cares?
I did a quick poll of my religious conservative friends who are politically engaged and ... no one gives a shit. That doesn't mean they're not still opposed to gay marriage or think that gay sex isn't a part of God's plan (they obviously believe both) but any individual's particular sexual orientation doesn't mean much to them. In my experience, it's been a very long time since it has mattered, even to evangelicals. Strangely enough, they seem as tolerant as anyone else when their loved ones come out of the closet. They may not approve, but they very rarely express the kind of hatred and intolerance that the Left typically expects from them on this issue.
rd,
Here's another good one:
Russ Carnahan St. Louis Democrat said that the person who fire bombed his office had worked as a canvasser for his campaign. The campaign had fired the man just before the Aug. 17 blaze, which damaged Carnahan's campaign office. He arsonist also writes articles for the TPM blog.
EVERYONE in DC knew he was gay. It wasn't as obvious as say... Nathan Lane but it was pretty darn obvious.
For another thing, who cares about Ken Mehlman anymore?
Probably why he waited til now.
But why would admitting that you are gay — arriving at the conclusion that you are gay — when you are an American in 2010 and 43 years old bring you any credit? It's pretty lame.
Maybe, but it's not easy being a gay conservative. Some gays can be extremely nasty when they find out a fellow homosexual is not "on board".
I have gay friends who keep being a conservative under wraps... not surprising a conservative would keep being gay under wraps. Put the two together, and it's more volatile now than ever, because of the gay marriage issue.
"They may not approve, but they very rarely express the kind of hatred and intolerance that the Left typically expects from them on this issue."
Come on Erik, don't you know that disapproval of an act means that you hate the people committing said act with the fury of a thousand suns?
I doubt we social conservatives will care at all about Ken Mehlman's sexuality until/unless he starts campaigning for gay rights and calls us bigots or backwards or otherwise runs us down.
We're actually pretty reasonable. Just don't shove a stick in our eye and expect us to keep quiet about it to prove our "tolerance."
Good for him for coming out. Bad for him to adopt the stupid lingo of the left, of psycho babble, to announce his "journey." That is the lame part, the lefty part.
Ken Mehlman's with KKR?
Who knew that?
Why is it any of my business where Ken Mehlman or Larry Bud Mehlman or Sulu or this guy or that guy likes to put it? And why do they keep on insisting that it is my business??
As for only now coming to the realization -- but, but, but I thought that one was "born" that way, so much so that even three-year-olds can self-identify as "gay."
Fine, if he wants to be gay, then be gay -- it is no concern of mine. I simply wish that folks would allow us the freedom to not have it be a concern of ours.
Yawner. Now, if that closeted US Senator would finally come out...
Non-news is correct...now. If this would have been "outed" in 2006, two years after the GOP disgustingly used gay marriage as their pole vault into a second term, it would have been quite embarrassing...
...IF Mehlman wanted to get married. There are (gasp) gay people that are indifferent and, yes, some, opposed to gay marriage.
I posted it as an observation and to see what your new "base" comes back with....mission accomplished.
I know quite a few self-declared liberals who aren't a fraction of a percentage as self-satisfied as you are, HD. Are you to rule or the exception on the left?
Well, I guess now we know why the Republicans lost Congress in 2006.
I had to think for a moment to remember who Ken Mehlman was, and it turns out I remembered incorrectly. This seems to be a pretty Beltway sort of fuss. Before Dean and Steele, I don't think one voter in five hundred outside of the beltway gave a damn who was the current national chairmen. Mehlman's from the days when RNC and DNC chairmen existed to make things go smoothly in the background, not to act up in front of the cameras. That was the business of the facemen.
I honestly don't care a fig one way or another about Ken Mehlman or what he does, so long as it isn't in the street, scaring the horses.
If anything here is newsworthy, it's his support for same-sex marriage. Not as interesting as it might have been a few years ago, but more interesting than his orientation, isn't it?
Who cares if someone is gay anymore?
Trey
Nathan Lane is gay??? Get out of town!
Next thing you will tell me is ELlen Degeneres is gay.
As if.
Trey
He's still directly responsible for making gays second class citizens in over half the states in this country. He'll have to live with that on his conscious forever.
And you knew he was gay, because he was outed. Hooray for Outing!
He self-outed. I don't think that's technically "outing," in the sense that you mean "he was outed . . . hooray."
I also don't think much of the practice of outing people who seem quite happy keeping their private lives private. In fact, I find the practice despicable.
Republicans are much more accepting of gay Republicans than gay people are.
Welcome back DTL. And just in time to prove my point.
Call me crazy, but, if he HADN'T "come out" and TMZ got a shot of him liplocking a sweet young male thing, wouldn't the manufactured scandal (FORMER RNC CHAIR SLOBBERS MALE LOVER!!!)(Film at 11) suit the Democratic machine just dandy at the moment distraction-wise? I mean, Lord knows, they sure could use one, manufactured or otherwise.
EPR
>>Missed the story. Did he come out swinging?<<
lol
Tibore
>>Who's Ken Mehlman? And why should we care?<<
Thank you.
downtownlad wrote:
He's still directly responsible for making gays second class citizens in over half the states in this country. He'll have to live with that on his conscious forever.
As will Obama who is similarly against gay marriage.
Lets not forget that polygamists, and bigamists and incestual couples are similarly "second class citizens" insofar as they aren't getting society to validate their marriage yet either. Are you not able to sleep at night over the injustice of said facts? Also, built right into the constitution more persecution. People under 17 are not allowed to vote! The horror!
F4P, wait for the pay-off line, then sing it with me...'don't stop believing, hold onto that feeeeeeeling...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=barLaHrtvoM
Who are we to carp about how long or even how someone comes to terms with their sexuality. I just hope he is happy and can find love in his life.
It seems he is out of politics and in private life. It would be nice if you so called "liberals" could just wish him well and let him move on with his life.
Scott M said...
"I know quite a few self-declared liberals who aren't a fraction of a percentage as self-satisfied as you are, HD."
probably true Scott M. I'm exceptionally self-satisfied. Any why not?
I'm trying to put together an African-American to generic Caucasian lexicon.
AA "Ghetto" translates as GC "Jersey."
AA "On the Down Low" translates as GC "Conservative Republican."
On the Real Housewives of New Jersey this week, Carolone the Matriarch of the Manzo clan set up a meeting with Danielle Staub the crazy bitch villian of the show.
On an earlier episode Ashely the 18year old daughther of one of the Housewifes had pulled Danielle's hair and ripped out some extensions. She sued her for assault and made a big court case.
Now Danielle had a lot of trouble when she was younger and was arrested for prostitution and drugs and kidnapping and what not and she was always going on about how she wished someone would have helped her when she was a young kid.
So Caroline meets up with her and askes if you were serious why not give this kid the break you wished someone would have given you when you when in the same spot.
Danielle just spit in her eye just like downtownlad just did to Ken Mehlman. When you are a nasty bitch you are just a nasty bitch.
Everything you need to learn about life you can learn on reality TV.
"I'm exceptionally self-satisfied. Any why not?"
LOL
Ken Mehlman comes out. World yawns.
Coming out of the closet is not news. Going back into the closet would be news.
This "news" is supposed to make the GOP base gnash their teeth and rend their garments that there was a hidden homo among them!
Yeah! "Sir, you can't let him in here. He'll see everything. He'll see the big board!"
This is about as surprising as Ellen or Rosie coming out. Hey guys everybody already knew. What turned us off was you telling us about it every 5 seconds. We know already now give it a rest. TMI!!!
Who really gives a "rat's ass" if Mehlman is gay or a Klingon? No one!
Why is he looking for publicity today? Who knows what 'EVIL LURKS IN THE HEARTS OF MEN'... I think it's all quite silly.
I would give a rat's ass if he was a Klingon. Most definitely.
TY
>>Who are we to carp about how long or even how someone comes to terms with their sexuality. I just hope he is happy and can find love in his life.<<
That Troop, what a mensch.
DTL, the people are directly responsible for stalling gay marriage. We do not want it.
You can call us names and manufacture fake outrage but folks don't want it. Capisce?
I thought not.
Trey
A fine, gay looking lad to be sure.
Ken who?
I've frequently noticed that the most "self-satisfied" people I meet or know also believe they're a lot smarter, or shrewder than they appear to others. In sort of PeeWee Herman kind of way. They seem to really think that they're "getting over" on others some how.
It's the self-satisfaction of a certain kind of blind ignorance.
Not that I'm saying HeadCase is in that category, mind you. You can draw your own conclusions there.
"'Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey,...'
Journey? Oh, I hear the dog-whistle. He's calling the Oprah crowd. Family, friends... supportive... he wants Democrats, women, etc., to care about him."
How well are you picking up that Oprah dog-whistle? (You missed his "path to travel", too.) And, of course, Ann Althouse isn't suggesting there's a connection between gay culture and NewAge, is she? Let's see:
Oprah, Democrats, Gays, and NewAge - all in one post.
Have I done a good enough job of tying them together for you, or do you want to unravel them for the rest of us?
Also, I find it fascinating how you'll see it all - so clearly - one day, and then abandon it the next, like it means nothing.
"gays can be extremely nasty when they find out a fellow homosexual is not 'on board'."
Gee, they sound like what gays claim conservatives are like - in their dreams.
It never ceases to amaze me how some people are able to function quite effectively for a period of time (particularly on the job) while psychologically and painfully twisting themselves into pretzels.
It's always possible that Mehlman - who was referred to by someone much more knowledgeable about politics than you as "the most powerful Republican in history to identify as gay" - might actually be doing this to instill some sense of integrity into the Republican party on this issue, rather than for his own supposed self-aggrandizement.
But why should anyone expect you to recognize or identify with such a motivation?
I mean, it's not like you're gay or anything, right? Or a Republican.
What Trooper said (12:10)
Dan Savage: Ken could've come out when he had a chance—a real chance—to make a difference. Now he can only make amends.
This isn't news.
Now if Tiger Woods were to come out, that would be something!
peter hoh said...
Dan Savage: Ken could've come out when he had a chance—a real chance—to make a difference. Now he can only make amends.
God, it must suck to be a leftist. You all always seem so unhappy, bitter, hateful, and bile-filled.
There are so many closeted homosexuals that it might be said to be an alternative life style. Why are Republicans the only people who get criticized for having this life style?....What are the Rev. Wright's views on gay marriage? I simply don't know. It is interesting that the media has not explored this area. Perhaps Obama's objection to gay marriage is based not on expediency but on the teachings of Rev. Wright.... I saw a reporter on the MSM asking Palin's pastor about his views on evolution. We have not been given information of the Rev. Wright's views on a number of subects, nor of Obama's concordance or variance with those views.
Lets not forget that polygamists, and bigamists and incestual couples are similarly "second class citizens" insofar as they aren't getting society to validate their marriage yet either. Are you not able to sleep at night over the injustice of said facts?
-- Finally someone hits the driving concept. IMHO gay marriage is not about two designers on castro street with multiple per day or two sweet little old ladies in the condo,, it is an attack on our traditions and the church.
Ironic that churches can not find respect for their traditions and beliefs of marriage being one man and one woman.
how long before muslims will be demanding respect for their traditions and beliefs of polygamy.
plus, china has little option than move to polyandry. What if a family unit of three men and one woman wants to become citizens?
Soon polyamorous unions and what is next??
Only solution is remove all benefits of being married and make it a civil process except for those churches that wish to continue their sacrament.
Gays want society's approval. Try for that public pat on the head in a muslim nation. Although what they actually do in private is a joke.
If gay marriage passes we need new words. No more gay or xxx or xx or whatever
Maybe, but it's not easy being a gay conservative. Some gays can be extremely nasty when they find out a fellow homosexual is not "on board".
Somehow I'm guessing it wasn't the potential scorn of gay lefties that kept Ken closeted. Mostly it's not easy being a gay conservative because social conservatives are extremely anti-gay. Let's not forget the President Mehlman served ran for reelection in 2004 (in part) on his advocacy for amending the United States Constitution to bar gays from marrying.
Anyway, I agree with Ann. Coming out at age 43 in 2010 is totally pathetic.
China isn't moving to polyandry. It's moving to the much more traditional "kidnap girls or women and make them your bride or sell them to brothels" for the poor guys, and "pay lots of brideprice for a wife" or "have multiple female concubines and flaunt them in other men's faces" for rich men. Chinese society as a whole has "kidnap boy children, use them for whatever slavery you want, and then throw their bodies out on the street to rot".
The only polyandry Chinese men will likely accept is brothel polyandry (not exactly a power trip for the multiple man-used woman). Sorry for your dreams.
Ironic that churches can not find respect for their traditions and beliefs of marriage being one man and one woman.
Churches can't find respect for their traditions re. marriage?
Really?
Or do you mean that churches aren't able to impose their traditions on everyone else?
I'm not sure exactly how that would work, as different churches have different views of what constitutes a legitimate marriage. A marraige that would meet with approval by the Baptists isn't necessarily acceptable to the Catholics.
Oh, but you want to focus just on the part that the Catholics and the Baptists agree on -- the one man, one woman stuff. Well, there are churches who are fine with blessing same-sex couples -- and some even call it marriage. Do those churches count?
Who do you propose to put in charge of determining which churches count?
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