Meghan McCain, the daughter of Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, often refers to herself as a Republican, but rarely as a “conservative.” And on Wednesday night’s broadcast of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” she suggested former President Ronald Reagan would fall in line with her — especially on the issue of same-sex marriage.
“I’m a big proponent of gay marriage,” McCain said. “It has isolated me in Republican circles. People don’t think I’m Republican enough because I’m a big advocate of marriage equality in this country. But I’m very proud to do it. My mother joined me. You know, I just —it’s one of the reasons why love being in politics. I just think this is my generation’s civil rights issue.”
McCain protested the GOP’s traditional stance on the issue, calling it hypocritical.
“What is so wrong with people getting married?” she said. “I don’t understand. Republicans, you know, can be very hypocritical when you say you’re a strict constitutionalist, and then you’re against — you want to regulate people getting married. I mean, I just don’t understand it.”
And her differences with the modern Republican Party, she said, are what sets her apart — and what set Reagan apart as well.
“I think if Ronald Reagan were running today, he would be called a dirty moderate like me, unfortunately,” she said.
Watch:
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