Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate: MSNBC's Keith Olbermann talked to Candace Gingrich, the lesbian sister of conservative stalwart Newt Gingrich, Tuesday night on Countdown With Keith Olbermann. (Click the pic for the YouTube video.)
In the opening segment, Olbermann discussed a recently released poll from Survey USA indicating that 8% of California voters who had voted to ban same-sex marriage had changed their mind on the measure following nationwide protests that ensued. The poll had a +/- 4.3% margin of error for that specific question. The margin by which the gay marriage ban passed was just over 4 points.
"Thus with the caveats that they didn't ask anybody who voted against the ban if they had changed their minds, and it's just a poll, and there's no second vote scheduled, there is still some evidence that another vote might go the other way," Olbermann said.
Asked if the poll surprised her, Candace Gingrich said, "To me, it just exemplifies the progress that's being made on what marriage equality is all about." Gingrich added that the protests had facilitated a continued dialogue and discussion around gay and lesbian issues and family concerns that was "very powerful."
Gingrich attributed any change of heart among California voters to a new recognition that certain people's rights had been taken away. She also noted that the implications of Proposition 8 have had a "chilling" effect on many Californians, and especially minority groups. "This idea that you can put the rights of one particular group up to popular vote, I mean, that's scary," she said.
Gingrich authored a piece for The Huffington Post this past weekend in response to her brother Newt's recent assertion on Fox News that "there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion."
Before taking her brother to task, Gingrich opened her letter with, "I must say, after years of watching you build your career by stirring up the fears and prejudices of the far right, I feel compelled to use the words of your idol, Ronald Reagan -- 'There you go, again.'"
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