Was it inappropriate for Kerry to bring up Cheney's lesbian daughter?

[ecstatic]

My parents said Kerry did it to illustrate his point better, although they said Kerry should have used the word "gay" rather than "lesbian" because the word "lesbian" has too much shock value in this society.

[tuvor]

1. No one cared last week when Edwards mentioned it.

Why start now? It's called grasping at straws.

Not voting.

[Imalittleteapot]

3. No one cared when Cheney mentioned it. n/t

[BJ]

2. How do I change my vote. I misread the polling question.

[ecstatic]

4. sorry

I should have worded the question better!

[BJ]

10. I should have read better.

:-)

[andyhappy]

5. evangelical lesbian

What's the big deal with Kerry mentioning the fact that Cheney has a LESBIAN daughter? It's just a word. Just a fact. Call him out on it and watch the repugs squirm. There goes the evangelical crowd ...but not so fast.

Cheney always plays it like his daughter has cancer or something and their family is just trying to work through it as best they can. I guess that kind of logic makes sense seeing as 10% of the population is gay. Therefore, there has got to be a lot of good, pent-up prudish christian families sticking together to get through the ordeal of their child being gay. It's a disease to them. A horrible test that god is putting them through.

Bush dodged the question of whether homosexuality is a choice or if it is something you are born with. He did his usual rambling/pandering/stumbling/mumbling thing that makes his base so proud.

Kerry had an interesting answer to that question though. He said, "We are all gods children." While that might sound like a dodge, I think it's a great thing for all those right winged homophobic christian families to hear. A simple truth. A reminder that their god would not have put gay people on this earth if he didn't love them just as much as he loves the gun-totin' right winged homophobic christian coalition.

[Turanga Leela]

6. Would it be inappropriate to mention that Mary is nearsighted?

Orthat her second toe is longer than her first?

(Disclaimer: I have no idea if these things are true or not.)

In my worldview, that's just about where sexual preference SHOULD be in terms of description: a fact, a characterisitic, but not something terribly interesting and not in the least bit controversial.

I KNOW that's not how most of the world views it. But I like my world BETTER, dammit.

[TahitiNut]

8. If the subject were vision care, NO.

Excellent analogy!

[chimpy the poopthrower]

7. I have to be honest.

I think Kerry did bring her up at least partly for the specific purpose of informing some clueless Bush supporters of the fact that the VP has a gay daughter. Or perhaps even to elicit an outraged response from the Bushes or Cheneys that would make them appear ashamed of Mary. But I don't think Kerry did anything wrong and I have no problem with the tactic, although I think Edwards handled this tactic much more smoothly and sensitively than Kerry did. But they both, especially Kerry, could have answered their questions without bringing her up. There was definitely a conscious decision to reference her directly. And I'm all for it.

[TaleWgnDg]

9. It's twisted. The "morality crowd" is twisting their own . . .

psychological projection upon Kerry. Unreal. That crowd is so damn tightly wound!

Mary is out, period. Out! Her father, Dick Cheney, talks openly about his daughter's sexuality. Cheney has talked in public in front cameras and into microphones about his own daughter's sexual orientation ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. And Cheney's done so while on speaking engagements hyping GWBush's presidential run. What's the damn big deal?

Thus, Kerry or anyone else may state that Cheney's kid is a lesbian. That's L-E-S-B-I-A-N, hello? Lesbian. PPppssstttt, there's nothing wrong w/ being a lesbian! Again, that word is lesbian as in homosexual. H-O-M-O-S-E-X-U-A-L.

This would be funny if the twisted "morality crowd" weren't twisting their crap and trying to use it against a presidential candidate. And that's another thing. Are these reactionary idiots using this to score points at the ballot box?

. . . . . . . . . . . .

*************************
"President Bush said he was 'troubled' by gay people
getting married in San Francisco. He said on important
issues like this the people should make the decision, not
judges. Unless of course we're choosing a president, then
he prefers judges." — Jay Leno
*************************

[hiphopnation]

11. Inappropriate?

No. Politically expedient? No, again.

[BenDavid]

12. Majority of Repubs,

have the belief a persons homosexuality is brought about by their environment. Well hell, if that be the case then I wonder what type environment did Dick and Lynn raise their daughter in? Those damn rethugs they always have logic on their side.CONVOLUTED LOGIC!!!

[ecstatic]

13. Those who voted "Yes"

Speak up! I'm very interested in hearing your POV!

[onenote]

38. my two cents

Wbile I don't think it was necessarily inappropriate to mention Mary Cheny, I don't think it was necessary either.

But I do think that the way JK mentioned her was inappropriate because its presumptuous for JK to proclaim what Mary Cheney would tell anyone about her feelings/thoughts about being a lesbian. She may well (and probably does) agree with what JK said, but it really wasn't his place to declare what she thinks. I wouldn't have had this problem if he had answered the question thusly:

"I don't think a choice. I think if you are gay it is part of who you are, who God made you. I think that its who Barney Frank is, I think its who Mary Cheney is, I think its who (fill in the blank) is...

Agains, its saying "Mary would tell you" that bothers me. Right message, wrong delivery.

onenote

[rinsd]

14. I'm not sure....

I just think its bad form to bring up someone's kid for the purposes of political demostration.

The cynic in me says they're doing this to depress fundie turnout. I truly hope that I am wrong on that one.

[eissa]

15. It was very appropriate

If this administration wants to get into people's bedrooms and invade their private lives -- who they should sleep with or marry, what they do with their own bodies -- then we have a right to get into their private lives as well.

People in glass houses....

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Of Course It Was OK. It Wasn't A Secret

She was not closeted. Everyone already knew. He didn't out her!

Lynne is just upset that this dichotomy puts her and her hubby at a political disadvantage.
The Professor

[Eugene]

17. Inappropriate? No. Gratuitous? Yes.

John Edwards already made this point.
Pointing out GOP intolerance and
hypocrisy is fine. Piling on Mary Cheney
looked like persecution. Kerry would
have done better to take a higher road.

:dem:

[UdoKier]

18. Other. Redundant and pointless

It didn't offend me, but it seemed a bit of overkill since Edwards already mentioned it. Bush/Cheney alrready make a pretense of supporting "equal rights for gays" so long as it's not marriage,and Dick doesn't agree with Bush's position, so mentioning Dick's daughter won't really sway anyone as far as I can tell.

[Dorian Gray]

23. I agree....

When he brought up Mary Cheney last night, my first thought was, "Oh, here we go again!"

It's old news. They didn't need her as a particular example. It didn't offend me... at all! ... but I just foresaw a whole "political storm" rising out of this.

[SoCalDem]

19. When Dick & Lynne "outed" her during the campaign, they MADE IT OK..

About a month ago THEY brought it up, UNPROMPTED... THEY USED her to "soften" up the old troll..

Kerry had every right to mention it.. He might have been better off to say something like ..."...our own vice president has a gay daughter...does that mean that her homelife made her CHOOSE to be gay??..or was she born that way..?..That would have given the fundies something to think about :evilgrin:

[TahitiNut]

22. They think they're EXCLUSIVELY entitled to exploit her ...

... for partisan political purposes. Inherent in Lynne Cheney's (pretentious) "outrage" is the notion that Mary's sexual orientation is somehow shameful -- and that their own continued acceptance of their own daughter is DESPITE this "horrible deformity."

It's disgusting.

[Shakespeare]

20. No, but it's inappropriate to be hypocrites about your own damn daughter.

I find their outrage just a bit much.

[booley]

21. it's Shrub's own fault if this hurts him

Mary Cheney is a public figure now and she is an out lesbian. mentioning that she is gay is as inappropriate and mentioning that he sky is blue.

Mentioning a well known fact is not unprofesional that I can see.

BUT I can see how repeating this fact can hurt the shrubbery. And why I think Kerry /Edwards do it for more reasons then just as an "example".

The republican base is virulently anti-gay and everytime Mary is mentioned, the repugs have to face thier homophobia and realize what hyppocrates they are. Especially thier VP who says how much he loves his daughter and then lets his republican friends trash her.

truth hurts. If the repubs weren't so homophobic, it wouldn't even bother them all.

[AntiFascist]

24. Repubs capitalize on using Mary to speak before gay groups...

in order to persuade them to vote for Bush/Cheney. Not only is she very out of the closet, but they are using her in a very hypocritical way considering how they address the issue of being gay to their religious base. It would only do the gay community good to promote the fact that she is being used in this way to all of the religious right.

[DuaneBidoux]

25. Not Inappropriate but not the best strategy

[librechik]

28. that's my position too

it opened up a vulnerability that Kerry didn't need to expose.

[SW FL Dem]

29. I agree

Kerry could have made his point without naming her. They knew the Cheney's were pissed about Edwards naming her in the VP debate, why was it necessary to use her as an example.

[devilgrrl]

26. No! F*** her if she doesn't like it!

Works for Coors.... hidden throughout daddy's term. F' that cow.

[ecstatic]

27. LOL nt

[plurality]

30. Yes it's inappropriate. What if the issue of splitting families came up..

and Bush mentioned Kerry's 2 divorces as an example of what's wrong with the American family?

I feel it is wrong to bring people's families into the debate. If a candidate isn't capable of defending his or her position without bringing the opponent's family into the equation then that candidate should consider taking a different position.

[ecstatic]

31. Two divorces is something to be embarassed about

Depending, of course, on the reasons. However, Cheney should not be ashamed or embarassed about his daughter. Sorry if I'm stepping on any toes here.

[plurality]

33. It could be that Kerry's divorces aren't something to be ashamed of.

Who's to say. Either way you're bringing people into the equation and giving them attention that they didn't ask for. Most people don't like having their personal lives laid open for all the world to see. Candidates obviously don't mind it, or they wouldn't run, but their families didn't make such a choice so I don't think it's right they have their privacy violated like that.

I know for a fact I would be pissed if some facts from my personal life ended up on CNN and Fox if my Dad ran for office, and I'd also be pissed if I ran and my families personal affairs became open season to the national press.

[WildEyedLiberal]

32. Um...

Kerry's only been divorced once, unless Teresa left him sometime between last night and now.

[plurality]

34. I thought he had 2 ex-wives, either way 1 or 2 I don't think he'd like it.

[WildEyedLiberal]

37. I kind of see what you mean

Kerry was only married once prior to Teresa, so he's been married twice, divorced once. I see your point but I disagree, simply because as Mary Cheney is an active member of the campaign, she isn't a private figure. If she were a recluse who had nothing to do with politics, then yes, it would've been inappropriate. But as she's working actively for her father's reelection despite the fact that the Bush platform advocates discrimination against her, I think that makes her a public enough figure.

[porphyrian]

35. Who gives a shit?

Fuck the self-righteous hypocrites if they can't admit they hate cheney's own daughter. Who gives a fuck, anyway? How many people still support them, three?

[Zhade]

36. I'm queer, my answer is no.

NT!

[DougieZero]

39. Setting the tone

I think it says a lot about all the pundits and people who instantly thought it was a "cheap shot" or a "low blow"... It's not like Mary Cheney is struggling with a drug addiction or Kerry was mocking her. I didn't skip a heartbeat when the word "lesbian" was uttered... Apparently Chris Mathews' gasped!... Refering to the fact the Dick Cheney has a gay adult daughter is taboo and offensive?.