Posted on 09/18/2013 1:15:07 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
SAN ANTONIO — At his and twin brother Julián Castro's 39th birthday party at Pearl Stable, U.S. Rep. Joaquín Castro and fiancee Anna Flores formally announced they are expecting their first child, a girl, to be born in December.
Monday night's news wasn't a bombshell — Flores announced the pregnancy on her Facebook page in August. And judging by the lack of response (online or elsewhere) regarding the congressman's marital status, the real news seems to be that there's no news at all.
“The people who would truly be bothered and make an issue are not in his district. They're not the people who voted for him,” said Kelton Morgan, a local Republican political consultant.
“On the heels of all of the despicableness of the (nondiscrimination ordinance) debate, the people who were against that are the ones who would take issue,” Morgan said. “Maybe they're burned out, out of steam.”
Ross Baker, an author and American Politics professor at Rutgers University, said the more likely reason is that times have changed.
“Public indignation at unconventional marital arrangements or child bearing arrangements has cooled over the years,” Baker said. “There are so many examples, particularly with the acceptance of gay relationships, that have tended to mute or silence indignation about less controversial heterosexual arrangements.”
One example is New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lives with girlfriend Sandra Lee. She's acknowledged as the first lady of New York, even though the couple aren't married. That scenario would not have happened 40 years ago, Baker said.
Another example is Bristol Palin's teenage pregnancy, which was announced when her mother, Sarah, was the vice presidential candidate on the Republican ticket in 2008.
“The list of political taboos has shrunk to very few. It's hard to imagine any martial or childbearing relationships that would cause eyebrows to raise and even fewer that would cause dire political consequences,” he said.
Stephanie Coontz, co-chair and director of public education at the Council on Contemporary Families based at the University of Illinois in Chicago, said Castro's situation isn't only common, it's downright American.
“Seventy percent of contemporary marriages begin with cohabitation. There's no longer a stigma against premarital sex,” Coontz said. “It's a fairly typical American situation: a couple is together, having sex. When they get pregnant and intend to keep (the child) and marry, it doesn't shame them or other people.
“It may break old 19th-century rules, but if the sex is consensual and in the framework of a committed relationship and doesn't betray another committed relationship, people are pretty cool about it.”
Morgan doesn't see the pregnancy as a political problem for Castro.
“If someone wanted to make political hay out if it, they could, but he's a grown man, marrying the mother of his child. It's hard to see any real legitimate criticism,” Morgan said. “I wish them the best.”
I disagree. Being married or unmarried is a public status and having a baby out of wedlock is a very bad example for a public figure to set.
The fact is, this pregnancy will probably help him with the type of voters he courts.
We are doomed.
Is that the girlfriend? Her handbag is almost bigger than he is.
What is wrong with these women getting into these relationships without a commitment of the legal variety, not just as “as long as it works”commitment? He may not be stupid but she sure is.
Dude is a fag and his girlfriend is just so much window dressing...
Look for his brother to run for the presidency in 10 years.
Mark my word.
I’m with you!! I thought both of them were Gay! Their LaRaza mom looks like.....I won’t go there!
I’m with you!! I thought both of them were Gay! Their LaRaza mom looks like.....I won’t go there!
He may have nice taste in women but...what’s American about him or her?
Where do they get the right to make laws for us?
We all know what nation he’s actually loyal to.
Lying when you take the oath of office is normally a big thing.
Animal like behavior. So indignities for the children.
Is the one on the right his shack-up, or is it his twin in drag?
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