A Prop 8 Crusader Leaves the GOP

The Orange County Register / Zuma Press What drove evangelical multimillionaire Howard Ahmanson—the man behind Prop 8—away from the Republicans? It wasn't Sarah Palin. He talks to The Daily Beast’s Kathleen Parker.

Multimillionaire Howard Ahmanson, one of the nation’s top evangelical Christian philanthropists and one of three funders of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California, recently joined the Democratic Party. Although Ahmanson’s support for Prop 8 earned him critics on the left, his many philanthropic interests funded through his Fieldstead Institute are most often nonpartisan and nonpolitical, from AIDS prevention to public transportation. In an exclusive interview with columnist Kathleen Parker, he explains why he switched political affiliations and what he thinks of President Obama, and he speaks frankly about gays.

"I don’t think [I have any gay friends], but I would stand with them on my opinions. And I would be willing to tell them what I think they should do."

You are what most people would characterize as a far-right Christian. What prompted you to join the “enemy” camp?

I’ve been part of the religious right and I don’t go to great lengths to hide that. I realize that a lot of people who feel as I do are in the socially conservative camp, as I am, but the Democratic Party in a place like California is so large and diverse that there are people of just about every opinion. The crusade for good things is, in the end, bipartisan.

This was a particularly local California phenomenon. A few things on the national level made me nervous, but here, they said, “No new taxes whatsoever no matter what.” They were going to make this a touchstone of orthodoxy in the party... I’m afraid I just got extremely frustrated having to read about this day after day after day. This is no longer my party.

What do you expect to do as a Democrat and what do you expect the Democratic Party to offer you?

I expect to do the same things but in a slightly more bipartisan format. In case someone asked, “intelligent design” is neither Republican nor Democrat. And what I expect the Democratic Party to offer me is knowledge of people—admittedly a fringe—who know that. And of course, though Proposition 8 is a sideline, it won with the support of lots and lots of Democrats.

Why not become an independent?

Being an independent seems a little bit like a coward’s way out. Also, independents are stereotyped as social liberals and fiscal conservatives. [Ahmanson characterizes himself as a social conservative and a fiscal moderate.]

What are your thoughts on the GOP?

My real trouble with the state party was taxes. The national Republican Party has had its tension between the upscales and downscales—the upper middle class and the lower middle class.

If I were in the GOP, I’d advocate the party should be downscaling.

Do you mean going more populist rather than elitist?

Yes.

So I take it you liked Sarah Palin?

I like her, though I’ll have to confess that I like Bobby Jindal better. I’m now a blue-dog Democrat for Bobby Jindal for 2012.

How would you gauge President Obama’s administration thus far?

It’s a bit early for Obama, and he may do well or he may not do well. It’s a bit too early. There were some things I was disappointed about. I was disappointed in his position on abortion and stem cells, but I knew he was going to do that, so I wasn’t surprised. Something I’m pleased with is, if he dares to uphold the voucher program in D.C. and go on from there, that would be a very good thing and I will actually have an opportunity to say something nice about our president.