As Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus appeared as a guest on Sunday's Meet the Press, host Chuck Todd pressed him on the GOP platform, at one point fretting about the plank that makes a statement acknowledging the benefits of each child having both a mother and a father to raise them.
The NBC host worried that the plank was "implying that somehow children of same-sex couples are more likely to be addicts, to engage in crime."
As Todd first raised the issue of the GOP platform, he brought up the "autopsy" of the 2012 presidential election which recommended how Republicans should proceed:
As you know, the whole autopsy report in 2013 ... about why Mitt Romney lost, and you guys outlined a bunch of things having to do with outreach -- particularly outreach to minorities, outreach to younger voters.
He then lectured:
This platform seems to run counter to the recommendations of the 2013 committee that looked into what's wrong. It's not reflecting any of those points, whether it's on immigration, whether it's on outreach to Latinos, same-sex marriage. What happened?
In his next question, Todd worried that the plank on two-parent families was suggesting that children of same-sex couples were more likely to abuse drugs or commit crimes. Todd began: "There's two things in the platform that make -- and I'm curious if you're comfortable with it."
The NBC host then read text from the platform:
Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime, or become pregnant outside of marriage. The data and the facts lead to an inescapable conclusion that every child deserves a married mom and dad.
He then demanded: "It's implying that somehow children of same-sex couples are more likely to be addicts, to engage in crime. Is that -- do you mean to have it imply that?"
Introducing the segment, Todd had also managed to get in the latest dig at Romney over his "binders full of women" debate comment which has fascinated liberals since the 2012 election. The NBC host recalled:
CHUCK TODD: The autopsy's prescription: grow the party. First, avoid alienating women voters with comments like these.
MITT ROMNEY, FROM 2012 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: I went to a number of women's groups and said, "Could you help us find folks?" and they brought up whole binders full of women.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, July 17, Meet the Press on NBC:
CHUCK TODD: In the wake of Mitt Romney's loss, Republican leaders acknowledged that their party needed to rebrand to turn around a losing streak in presidential years.
REINCE PRIEBUS, RNC CHAIRMAN: I think we had some biologically stupid things that were said in the last election.
TODD: The autopsy's prescription: grow the party. First, avoid alienating women voters with comments like these.
MITT ROMNEY, FROM 2012 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: I went to a number of women's groups and said, "Could you help us find folks?" and they brought up whole binders full of women.
(...)
TODD: As you know, the whole autopsy report in 2013 -- I know you don't technically call it an autopsy, and it's fine, but it's been known as that -- about why Mitt Romney lost, and you guys outlined a bunch of things having to do with outreach -- particularly outreach to minorities, outreach to younger voters.
This platform seems to run counter to the recommendations of the 2013 committee that looked into what's wrong. It's not reflecting any of those points, whether it's on immigration, whether it's on outreach to Latinos, same-sex marriage. What happened?
(...)
TODD: There's two things in the platform that make -- and I'm curious if you're comfortable with it. [edit] There's one in a draft that says, "Children raised in a traditional two-parent household tend to be physically and emotionally healthier, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime, or become pregnant outside of marriage. The data and the facts lead to an inescapable conclusion that every child deserves a married mom and dad."
It's implying that somehow children of same-sex couples are more likely to be addicts, to engage in crime. Is that -- do you mean to have it imply that?
