A gay couple bought the web domain for JebBushForPresident.com and is refusing to sell it, hoping to troll potential voters with a blog about gay rights.
Portlanders CJ Phillips and Charlie Rainwater bought the website in 2008, betting a future Jeb run would turn the site into a valuable platform, reported Business Insider. The two self-described nerds and “high tech bears” plan to blog on the site about legislation that affects the LGBT community.
“We didn’t see LGBT equality getting any better,” the couple said of their 2008 decision. “And we felt said rights would more than likely still be in the spotlight in the run up for the next several election cycles. Jeb’s name was already being bandied about in the news as a potential presidential candidate, and we felt sure he’d be running in a future election.”
The former Florida governor is considering a 2016 run, and is an early favorite in the polls, despite groans from the right.
He is personally opposed to same-sex marriage for religious reasons, but thinks the legal decision should be left to the states. “We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,” he said in January, adding that people on all sides of the issue deserve respect.
The gay couple has already turned down several offers to buy the domain. “One person asked flat-out why a gay couple would have a candidate centric domain,” Phillips told Business Insider. “The latest was someone saying they wanted to buy the domain as a birthday present for a friend.”
A brief message on the otherwise bare site reads: “CJ and Charlie are two guys in a great relationship who are looking to inform our friends and family about some of the challenges we face being part of the LGBT community. This page is intended to prompt understanding, insight, and healthy dialogue in the ever changing landscape of civil rights and social justice.”
Jeb’s spokeswoman declined to comment when asked by Business Insider if he has tried to purchase the domain.
JebBushForPresident.net has also been purchased, by “a loyal Republican” hoping to prove to the country he’s not a true conservative. “Jeb Bush has shown time and time again that he is a social liberal at heart,” the site reads.
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