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.
Anchor baby?
Baby blip?
Not a bombshell, just a hand grenade
Gonna name him Anchor ???
He.......is not stupid.
With an illegitimate POTUS bastarding is the new normal.
Like the moron factory, the bastard factory is still running,,,
Three shifts, 24/7, 365...
Slippery slope anyone?
Governor Palin didn’t have a baby out-of-wedlock, her daughter did. Not the same thing at all, idiots.
Who is the girl?
Joaquin Castro
I assumed the congress member they were referring to was the guy in the suit with that lapel pin. That’s what I get when I skim.
A guy is sitting on a subway, when he sees a beautiful Thai woman. Hes very attracted to her and starts fantasizing about her sexually. He keeps staring at her dreamily as the train is swaying back and forth. Not wanting to be embarrassed he starts thinking to himself, Dont get an erection! Dont get an erection! But sure enough, she gets an erection.
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. “
Why does this Republican political consultant feel the need to defend this guy? Or am I missing something?
She on the other hand....
No, but she obviously is smitten with his rising.... star.
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.
They really don’t even try to argue against slippery slope anymore do they? Polygamy is the future people. That’s tolerance for you.
America’s economic and political problems could be fixed given the right leaders and policies.
Unfortunately, our cultural decay and decline seems to be set in stone now.
Besides, Castro would just as soon murder the baby anyway.
The girl he has to look up at every day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.