Local Republican Chairman Steve Shine on Friday criticized a third-party radio commercial promoting GOP mayoral candidate Matt Kelty that Shine said presents a message of intolerance.
The ad, sponsored by the American Family Association of Indiana, said Christians have an important decision in the upcoming mayor’s race because Democrat Tom Henry has “repeatedly authored legislation promoting the gay-rights agenda.”
The American Family Association of Indiana is endorsing Kelty.
Shine sent a two-page letter to Kelty outlining his concerns with the ad. In it, he wrote that the advertisement does not create a perception of the open and inclusive Republican Party he is trying to promote.
While he said he has valued the group’s support of candidates in the past, he fears the radio ad – played on a local Christian station – conveys that Republicans shun people who differ from them in certain ways.
“As someone whose roots come from a class of people once persecuted for its religious beliefs, it pains me to hear even a hint of intolerance associated with a candidate of an organization I chair,” said Shine, who is Jewish. “I will not accept intolerance, real or perceived.”
You know, usually I've got a real mad-on for the GOP overall, but I've really got to hand it to Steve Shine - telling a group of anti-gay hatemongers to go stuff it because they're marginalizing would-be voters is a damn good move. You and I both know it's not going to affect my vote - I won't vote for a Republican unless they're the only one on a ticket and I don't live in Ft. Wayne anyhow, but this sets a good precedent. Now if only we could get more folks to tell the haters to go fly a kite, we'd be good.
