GOP Presidential Debate on Don't Ask, Don't Tell

[hargemouch]

None of them will allow for homosexual conduct in the military.

They all just lost my vote.

Obama in 2012.

[Metasand]

Throwing people out of the military just because of sexual orientation is wrong in my view. The people who believes homosexuality is against their values in the miltary still has to try to be tolerant if gays are in the military.

[PHILIBOYLONDON]

Thanks alot ron paul for basically devaluing everything else you stand for, for that piece of shit excuse against dont ask dont tell.

[boatstaylor]

has nothing to do with civil rights. A person's sexuality isn't a skin color or a race! It's a choice! These people don't belong in the service and the policy works with DODT. The repeal is gonna cause a lot of problems and gonna force a draft. What a bunch of crap!

[JaquieSmiles]

@boatstaylor First of all, to say that homosexuality is a choice you must admit that you have considered being homosexual to come to the conclusion that it is not the CHOICE for you. Second of all, if DADT was repealed and caused a draff... who's fault woul that be. There wouldn't be a shortage of willing americans, just too many bigots more concerned of themeselves rather than the safety of their country.

[boatstaylor]

@JaquieSmiles I understand my own sexuality and I did make a choice to be what nature wanted me too. It's my biological destiny just like the rest of mankind.

[JaquieSmiles]

@boatstaylor what was there to understand about your sexuality? Did you actively decide that tho you felt homosexual tendencies, you were going to follow that path that you PERCIEVED nature mandated?

[boatstaylor]

@JaquieSmiles I had the choice of being straight or homo just like everybody else and I chose to be straight. DADT was repealed but it won't ever cause a draft because we have an all volunteer force, the number of gays in the service is a very small number. DADT was repealed but it probably will come back within the next couple of years.

[emily100094]

@boatstaylor BEING GAY ISN'T A CHOICE!

[Gabizzle3]

it's ucmj, uniform code of military justice... ucmc?...

[selmanadzovic]

Is Paul the only one who tried to finesse the answer , and not sound like a complete ass?

[yosoydame]

@selmanadzovic go ron paul!!!

[SechyoolarYOOESAY]

LMFAO look at the end.."Is there anyone here that thinks we should allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the US military" DEAD SILENCE!

That's exactly why you old white men have NO POWER right now cuz you can't change with the times... LET ME GUESS YOU DON'T WANT BLACKS IN THE MILITARY EITHER!?!?

Since the start of DADT, we have spent 200 million US taxpayer dollars on recruiting and training new troops to replace the ones we kicked out for DADT! THEY SAY POLICY IS WORKING!? LMFAO

[merrickwt]

lol, hey Rudy! WE ARE NOT AT WAR GET IT IN YOUR HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

did these guys ever read the constitution? article 2 perhaps?

[prettysupermodel]

john mccain is an idiot. and according to a zogo suvery of 1000 soldiers, 75% of them wouldn't bein in the same unit as an openly gay person. so shove off asshole

[hipstermi]

At one time, 75% or more soldiers said they wouldn't serve with black people...and that changed. They were ordered toget over it.

Times are a changing and do YOU want to be by your viewed kids and grand kids like the people who fought civil rights and inter racial marriage?

[theregurgitator]

This decision shouldn't be up to the politicians, it should be up to the men and women of the military, who will give you a much more clear cut answer:

No, we don't want faggots in the military.

I'd guess that about 95% of soldiers would agree with that.

[guardian22222]

You're regurgitating bullshit. The majority of the military are young and they understand people don't choose their sexuality just as they didn't choose theirs - and they don't care. All they care about is whether or not their comrades can perform as soldiers. And even if they have their own prejudices, they're US Soldiers, professional enough to manage their own behaviors and take care of business. What planet are you from?

[kumi0702]

HAHA manage their own behavior, you obviously have never spent any amount of time in the armed forced.

[yayarea41507]

RP is right on with this

the rest are just hateful scum

[Whoo69]

Giuliani's a fucking asshole. How can he support gay rights yet not demand that Don't Ask, Don't Tell be repealed?? He hides behind this "complexity of war" crap. "We shouldn't repeal it now b/c we're in the middle of a war, and it'd be too costly and take up too much time." You don't have to be straight; you just have to shoot straight! Man, I really wish Goldwater was here to straighten these morons out. The Republican Party and religious right have failed the New Right.

[Whoo69]

I love hearing these dumbass Republicans use the term "social experiment" with reference to gays in the military. What "social experiment"/"social engineering"?? Since when is basic equality and freedom from discrimination "social engineering"? Are you fucking HIGH??

[Whoo69]

wtf? Did I just hear this? Did Ron Paul just dodge the question??? That's the first time I've seen that! I cannot believe a libertarian like Ron Paul thinks Don't Ask, Don't Tell is such a good thing. What would a guy like Barry Goldwater, who I'm sure he admires very much, think of this?

[Froggy343]

Just Sad.

[izumiorion]

this is all bs i mean come on our candidates as of right now are blind old straight guys none of them are bi or gay and they think that being gay is digusting but it doesnt matter if we are straight, bi, gay, or lesbian it just matters weather or not they are going to fight for our country and if you think about it I make perfect sense

[J0hn3577]

And for whom is the policy working, Mr. McCain? What a disgrace every one of you is.

[izumiorion]

too true

[J0hn3577]

When IS that time to deal with this, Mr. Giuliani? It wasn't 1994, it's not 2007, so when would it be appropriate for us to ask for our rights?

[clementsiscool]

oh i TOTALLY agree with all of this old, white, heterosexual men who've had to work so hard to be treated fairly under the law. I think it would be interesting if the word "gay" was replaced with the word "black." As in, "do you think black people should be allowed to serve in the military?" Their response, of course, would be "OH 100%!!!, THEIR SKIN COLOR MAKES NO DIFFERENCE! It's not like they choose to be black like those homos are choosing to be gay."

[chadhorn]

Should we ban straight people from the military then? Such fucking hypocrites... I'm one of the fucking linguists released for lack of the "social experiment" and I was released during time of war. Fuck you repubs... go over there and get your all's heads blown off since most of you all dodged the draft.

[anwealde]

most republicans dodged the draft?

[HanifXHier]

Giuliani is a slimeball.

[Celladore0]

These debates make me sick

[krissy4nik]

They are side stepping they keep talking about conduct but the question wasnt are you going to aloow us to have gay sex . The question was will you allow me to serve without hiding my gay identity. Why is being openly gay a threat to our military . We need as many soldiers as we can get right now and they are detering some viable soldiers.

[sploogersmoof]

i like huckabee trying to avoid the issue.

[Bassman5000t]

Ron Paul is correct

[EmeraldView]

Damned cowards. Republicans really are the party of cowards. Not only in THIS video, but in their extraordinary willingness to give up rights, liberties, freedoms, and privacy because they're SO damn afraid of terrorists. SO scared they act irrationally and ignorantly to attack a country that was absolutely no threat and did nothing to us, only to result in causing FAR more problems for our nation. Pathetic.

[badreligionrules]

These homos are totally sidestepping the question, and they actually want to run our country. Just repeal don't ask don't tell

[SFmusic1]

There are thousands of gays and lesbians in the military right now! The red herring about showers and sleeping quarters is stupid because right now gays and str8s shower and live in close quarters, and it only seems to be a problem when the commanding officer hears about it. The only thing that will change with the repeal of DADT is that gays and lesbian will get to tell the truth and be honest about who they are. I don't understand how anyone can say that truth and honesty is a bad thing.

[hypervexbliss]

Keep shooting yourselves in the foot Republicans.

[LiberalMama]

That is STUPID! And they aren't "punished for their behavior" They don't have to DO anything, all they have to do is SAY they are gay. OHHHHHH - how awful!

[mateo410]

that is the most pathetic demonstration of political leadership i have every seen. we don't need to elect another Bush.

[gsotoaz]

What planet are these guys on?!?!??

[tofubadguy]

Funny... Ron Paul gave the only intellectually honest position. That is where individual rights come from. They don't come from the government or some dictator. As people we already have them, and peoples personal lives are their own. Fundamentally sound to it's core.

To bad the others aren't even smart enough to even begin to contemplate that.

[JeanVe]

Jesus, what are they thinking? 'Hey, I am gay and I want to get into the army because I like to fuck around in stead of serving my country.

This is white collar discrimination and America should be ashamed of herself!

[darkndan]

These canidates are so stupid..you can be kicked out of the army for just proclaiming you are gay..so how is this merely regulating "conduct"....when there is NO CONDUCT

[BhHottieBoi]

I'm gay and if I'm defending this country and your right to chat in this room to say whatever the hell you want, does it matter?

[EmeraldView]

Working? LOL. McCain is a moron.  Republicans have LOST on this issue.

[eethry]

david7700 you are an idiot, if you have a picture of your wife on your table, u'r a bigot. If you have allowed anyone to ask anyone if they are gay, or talked about your hook, gf, or wife your a hypocrite. If you took an emergency leave or asked to leave work cause of your close one, your stupid for believing such a thing. Good luck to your masked homophobia, peace.

[AndrogyneMichinaga]

Oh yes, they really mean that it is not the time to get rid of a fudge that covers up homophobia when the candidates want the right wing vote.

[jerrydoubleu]

OOps. I was thinking Ron paul was good. Now I definitely know better.

[zyxwvutsrqponmljkihg]

Do you people really think the military is excluding gays to be mean? They want as many people as they can get! They just don't want the possible disruption to morale. You can't deny that some military personnel would be uncomfortable with the idea that their fellow soldier is a homosexual. It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right, it is a simple fact. The military commanders should do whats best for the military in their eyes. They know better than you.

[hyehopes]

It is obviously NOT working since so many soldiers are being dismissed and so many important men and woman who would be helping the cause are forced to leave the military. This is honestly ridiculous. With this law we are saying that if you are gay or lesbian you can fight and die for your country but if you dare take a step out of your closet well kick you out. This law is extremely disrespectful and does nothing to help the situation.

[david7700]

I am definately not afraid of homos (homophobia). But it is a question of what is most important, 'what you believe in' most. You said, "Are you going to deny them the opportunity to stand up for what they believe in..?" If gays truly believe in their country they will follow the policy, and not discuss sexual preferences. This also goes for straight people, ahem, the "don't ask" part!! So please don't accuse me of bigotry because I am defending my military and their code of conduct.

[david7700]

Gay behavior is male to male contact, as mentioned in another post, a type of sexual behavior that should not be tolerated in a fighting force. Our men are not out there on the battlefield to "make love."

[kissesLearning]

you're right. Our men are out there to battle. Homosexuals will not try to hit on their fellow fighters. They are there because they love their country and want to protect it. Are you going to deny them the opportunity to stand up for what they believe in just because they like their fellow gender? And if you are homophobic, which i'm assuming you are, why wouldn't you want them to serve? They have a higher probability of dying.

[JeanVe]

Er.. so you think that that's what it's about for the gay militaries? Going to war for making love? And why should gays make love and straight men not? Don't straight people have sex?

People can be so ignorant! It's unbelievable!

[lopaka83]

"Some Western military forces have now removed policies excluding individuals of other sexual orientations (with strict policies on sexual harassment). Of the 25 countries that participate militarily in NATO, more than twenty permit gays to serve; of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, two (Britain, France) permit gays to serve openly, and three (United States, Russia, China) do not." How can Ron Paul supporters defend this? Vote Mike Gravel!

[lopaka83]

from wikipedia

"the policy prohibits anyone who has sexual bodily or romantic contact with a person of the same sex from serving in the armed forces of the United States, and prohibits any homosexual or bisexual from disclosing his or her sexual orientation, or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces"

[david7700]

If you're homo, and wan't to die for this country, you're gonna have to die in the closet! We must have a sharp, strong, unified military and that leaves no room for gay behavior.

[ratpat]

And do tell what is "gay behavior" you talk about, what is "straight behavior"?

[lemonade17]

They ARE willing to die for their country. That's the issue.

[ghaleonx128]

I like how they say we should deal with this in the future when we're currently SHORT on military personel and specifically, arabic translators. How does limiting the people that can serve in the military get a war resolved asap? The politicians' position on gays are supported by some of the public. American citizens are paying the price with their lives over in Iraq and elsewhere because of the prejudice against gays.

[Seveninat0r]

Guess what else distracts the military? Faulty administration tactics.

[fresh42jazz]

This is so frustrating to see this.

And depressing for the state of our country.

[ratpat]

How insulting they all are.

[nickcoons]

All but Ron Paul. I wish he would have answered this with a yes or no, but it seemed clear that when listening to his response that he has no problems with "gays in the military." The problem is not being a homosexual in the military, the problem is exhibiting disruptive behavior; whether your homosexual, heterosexual, black, white, yellow, or pink.

I thought Dr. Paul was pretty clear on that point.

[ratpat]

It was Ron Paul's answered that I first had a problem with. He beats around the bush and gives an impractical answered to the way in which Don't Ask Don't Tell is used. By saying DAD is a perfectly acceptable policy he is in fact supporting the blanked discrimination of openly gay members of the military despite there behavior, good or bad. DAD is not and has not been used to deal with "disruptive behavior,"

[Sideburns1986]

He never said DAD is acceptable, he said if the constitution were applied as it should be, then gays would be looked at as individuals and treated as individuals rather than groups. And I think Gov. Huckabee was right too though I don't always agree with him: Right from the start the constitution guaranteed the God given rights of all Americans. It's the government's interpretation of the Constitution that has limited our rights.

[ratpat]

He still says it's a decent policy. If he was interested in people being looked at as individuals and not groups then he would need to vote against DAD in full. By saying no and expressing it should stay in place, he is allowing for people to be treated and targeted because of a "group" there are identified by, not there actions. Its not about how the constitution is applied to it, DAD targets people because they are part of a"group' be being gay.

[ratpat]

it simply allows them to be kicked out because it is "known" that they are gay. "Knowing" some one identifies as gay is not a "disruptive behavior." If it is its an issue of the individual who has a problem with gays, not the gay service member. By supporting Don't Ask Don't tell he is in fact saying that openly identified homosexuals are "disruptive" for being who they are, and cannot/shouldn't serve.

[ratpat]

If that is his core belief, that self identifying homosexuals are disruptive in nature to the military process, he need to be big enough to own up to that, and not simply slip something out to play to different bases.

[Sideburns1986]

Point taken. I'm just surprised to see a GOP candidate on the stage take a stand that can even remotely be interpreted as admitting that homosexuals are people too.

[ratpat]

I agree, its just sucha back handed way of doing it.

[Sideburns1986]

And they claim Democrats can't take a decisive stand on the issues...

[thomasw78]

I love Ron Paul but I have to agree that his answer was weak. All the Republican are simply wrong on this issue. If they're for individual rights than DADT is an incomplete solution. I was actually hoping and expecting Ron Paul to say he would support openly gay people when Wolf asked at the end see how strong he is on individual rights. I just think that he doesn't fully understand the issue.

[krissy4nik]

I like pauls stance on the war but he isnt as libertarian as he claims he claims libertarianism on issues only social conservatives are worried about.

[thomasw78]

He's libertarian about alot of things but he's also a strict constitutionalist and a Christian. He has to contend with the fact that the bible says homosexuality is a sin even though he doesn't personally believe that.

[krissy4nik]

The issue with that is his job as a president isnt to champion his religious ideas. His job is to represent and protect the interests of the citizens both in the minority and majority.

[dafttool]

The performance of the GOP candidates on this issue was pathetic... and expected. They seemed more concerned about avoiding "disruptive influences" than military preparedness. McCain was exceptionally deceptive in his response, playing to the audience, claiming the military was the best in all regards. I would beg to differ; centering on just our lack of Middle Eastern translators, our military intelligence is suffering greatly not allowing gays to serve openly.