MAKING ROOM IN THE BIG TENT

Trudging through their post-electoral wilderness, Republicans have had a political epiphany or two.

The light beaming down illuminated the need for new ideas. Among them, the need to become more meaningful to minority voters, notably Hispanics. With clarity that often accompanies thumping election losses, the GOP is closer to recognizing the enlightened self-interest of comprehensive immigration reform than at any time since 2007.

Alas, the beam of enlightenment has been narrowly focused. Welcoming Hispanics, apparently, is one thing. But welcoming gays? Really conservative gays, at that? Even for a group desperately in need of expanding its base of support, welcoming gays appears to be too much to ask.

Organizers of a recent gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference declined to extend an invitation to GOProud, the country’s most conservative gay political group, to set up a booth.

As conservative writer Jonah Goldberg observed, the decision was “knee-jerk and insecure.” It also was foolish. A key organization of a party anxious to project a new bigger-tent image just informed a loyal voting bloc it isn’t wanted. Not because of what its members believe politically, but because of who they are.

That is real political blindness. The GOP had best illustrate the wrongheadedness of the decision to the CPAC organizers fast ... or the lights will be going out permanently.