It’s definitely political season and it’s time to watch some of the local GOP dust off and exercise their resentments. They do this, of course, because they can’t figure out how to connect with enough voters to actually govern. They also do it because they think that their resentments and bigotries are somehow supposed to entitle them to run the world. The latest local exercise in GOP bigotry was directed at Sarah McBride, who recently endorsed Bryon Short for the US House seat being vacated byJohn Carney. The Western Sussex Republican Club responded to Sarah’s Facebook announcement by reposting it with a snide and hateful comment, with a screen shot shown below. Sarah had losts of people supporting her after this stupid bit of business was posted, including a quick (but deleted) comment from John Fluharty who observed that stuff like this is why the GOP can’t win. The Western Sussex Republican Club has deleted its post, so the comments opposing them are gone. But both Sean Barney and Bryan Townsend took to Twitter to stand with Sarah and to denounce this hateful business. Note to the GOP — this stuff may speak to somebody, but this is not the stuff of electoral coalitions. Not in Delaware, it isn’t.
After day in Sussex, sad to see hateful language from a group here thrown at @SarahEMcBride. I stand w/her and so many for #TransEquality.
— Sen. Bryan Townsend (@BryanTownsendDE) February 6, 2016
UPDATE: Statement from State Rep. Bryon Short:
“Sarah McBride is my friend, and anyone who knows her well, knows she is a brave and courageous woman. When Sarah offered to endorse my campaign I was grateful and proud, but I was also concerned she would be again exposing herself to destructive words or worse. Following my posting of Sarah’s endorsement on Facebook, a group in Delaware used it to spread a hateful message. It is a common refrain during floor debates on equality issues that there isn’t a problem. There is a problem. People are subjected to bullying, harassment, and tragically, very real violence because they are LGBT. The bigoted statement the group made shows just how real it can be. I am glad I have had the opportunity through my service in the General Assembly to stand up and fight for equality and to again stand up for what is right–a cause I will never abandon.”