Mary Cheney comment was a brilliant strategy imho...

[sundog]

I just have to add my two bits.

This "issue" is a no win situation for the * team, no matter how they spin it.

The "issue" will obviously make his hardcore zealot supporters very uncomfortable.

Even as his spin doctors try to spin, spin, spin it against Kerry, all the American public will hear about all day is "Cheney's Lesbian daughter." This is not good for the right wing "morally upright" base. They are freaking out no doubt.

* burned all bridges with us (the gay population)long, long ago. Those bridges cannot be repaired. No love lost.

That was a pointed arrow last night that Kerry drove deep into the heart of the right. The pigs are squealing.

As a gay male, I think it was a great move. Not a bad move in any way shape or form.

They cannot spin that no matter what they do. He led them right into a trap.

Excellent, imho.

If these points have already been made, sorry to repeat. I did not see them.

[AmerDem]

1. it was strategic

Clearly Kerry/Edwards are showing the hypocrisy in the repuke party.

They take an issue like gay marriage and hope to divide and conquer the minds of average everday Americans but their leaders actually have a gay children, relatives and in a few case so far members themselves being gay.

[Paradise]

2. it must have been a purposeful strategy because they already knew

the spin they would get from john edwards having already done it!

[Cocoa]

3. it's absolutely 100% ok for Kerry to do this

the gay marriage issue is all about leveraging and encouraging bigotry.

And it's based in hypocrisy.

The people that are mad about Kerry's strategy are mad because Kerry is exposing the hypocrisy. Same reason the media is mad about Michael Moore, he's exposing them.

[Mizmoon]

4. I totally agree

Democrats (generally) don't care if someone is gay or not, but the Repukes have their "rev. phelps" base to pander to. These are the same types that blamed 9/11 on, "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle."

HA HA HA! 'SPLAIN MARY TO YOUR BASE, SPITTLEBOY!

[wurzel]

5. Kerry had no business talking about Cheney's daughter.

But, as usual, it is taken out of context. Kerry was trying to use Ms. Cheney to bolster his argument that being gay is not a choice. After all the VP is supposedly the Republican poster boy for "family values". If being gay is solely matter of "choice" that is a puzzle. But when you remember the Religious Right is the backbone of the Republican Party and what they routinely say about gays, their anguish about Mary Cheney is the height of hypocrisy.

[Free2BMe]

26. why no business, the Cheney family chose to make it public.

[David__77]

6. I'm gay too and I agree.

Mentioning Mary Cheney is totally acceptable. She's well into her 30's, is out and has been for years, was a professional gay advocate at Coors and is a paid official of the Bush/Cheney campaign. Cheney already mentioned her in his debate and previously, so it's not taboo by any means. Importantly, he was not directly attacking Bush in the context of mentioning it. If he were, this might be a different story.

The right-wing bigots are upset because they imagine that Cheney is opposed to his daughter's sexual orientation and this puts him on the spot a bit. This wouldn't be an issue if Bush would have addressed the question, but he did not. He launched into a tirade against gay couples.

[sundog]

11. They are on the defensive now... THEY have to make excuses WE don't :)

[wishlist]

7. I agree- no better way to make the issue relevant &point out * hypocrisy

The Repubs have tried to exploit homophobia in order to get votes from people who condemn and fear gays and imply that being gay is a wrong 'choice'. Bush said he didn't know if being gay was a choice so he left the question wide open for Kerry. By mentioning Mary Cheney, Kerry made it clear how misguided it is to promote criticism and fear of gays and how absurd it is to imply that gays choose their sexual preference.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

8. Why is this even an issue?

I mean, if it's ok to bring up Laura and the girls, Teresa and the Kerry girls and the Heinz hunk, what's the big deal? It's not like Mary Cheney is in the closet....

[speedoo]

9. I agree it was a good move by Kerry.

Not so much because I have given as much thought to these issues as others have, but just because Kerry clearly had thought it through beforehand, based on the clear way that he expressed himself.

And having thought it through beforehand, I am confident that Kerry and his advisors were fully aware of all the possible ramifications. These guys just don't make mistakes.

I tend to agree that there was very little downside for Kerry, and that there was plenty of potential gain by creating a difficult issue for the rethug social issues right wingers.

[ibegurpard]

12. yup, it puts them in a very difficult position

If they make too much of a big deal about it, they run the risk of "defending" gay people, thus turning off their fundie base. Kind of between a rock and a hard place.

[texasaggiedemocrat]

10. Right on!

I am just so happy it has been brought up. I have spent the last two years as a gay american being used as a pawn by these right wing nut jobs. My partner and I are thrilled that instead of just us (you know we're out to destroy marriage and all) it is them in the hot seat about gay issues!

[Dr Fate]

13. Kerry tells the truth. Some media types are not used to that.

Cheney's daughter IS gay. Bush & Cheney ARE opposed to gay rights.

I see absolutly nothing wrong with telling the truth.

[MrBenchley]

14. I agree....

[Hello_Kitty]

15. Agreed. And if Mary is asked about it she should say

something like "I appreciate Senator Kerry's concern for my civil liberties." There is nothing shameful about who she is. If repukes were smart they could turn this into a winning issue by responding with dignity. But they're not so they will whine about how "inappropriate" it is to mention the sexual orientation of Cheney's daughter. Which reveals their own bigotry immediately.

[Nordic]

16. both he and Edwards did it, so it was carefully planned

and I trust Kerry to run the smart campaign.

He's doing great so far.

He's a closer.

[progressivebydesign]

17. Saying Mary Cheney is gay, is like saying Barney is Purple.

It's not like he outted her! I don't know why the right wing is flipping out on this. Is she no longer gay? No. Was it a secret? No. Is she gay? Yes. Has her own father mentioned it in CAMPAIGN events? Yes. Is this a non-issue? Yes.

[July]

22. It's a key point that Cheney himself brings it up.

If he's injected it into the campaign, it's a fair point for discussion.

[Beetwasher]

18. And You Just KNOW Cheney Is Having Conniptions!

On one hand he wants to attack Kerry for making the remark, but on the other, he wishes the issue would just disappear!

What to do, what to do! Ha Ha!

[mzmolly]

19. I agree. I was thinking that just today. I think they're doing

themselves a diservice by keeping it in the media.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

20. It's the hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrisy.

Kerry said so using so many other words: You are all a bunch of hypocrites.
Look how they complain now like a wounded animal.

[IdaBriggs]

21. 100% Agreement from me! Kick! nt

[sundog]

32. Right on! Thanks... They will only feel the pain after the blow...

They were just reeling last night & this morning because of the simple fact that they were hit.

It will actually start to sink in today.

Like when you get cut... you don't feel the pain at first, you only know you're bleeding. The pain comes later.

Ultimately, it does all of us good - gay & straight Americans alike. It's all about being open & true.

Thanks again John Kerry :)

[chum]

23. I found it offensive

And I think most voters who are not Kerry partisans will agree with me.

[Don Claybrook]

24. What was offensive about it?

Is homosexuality wrong? Or is it just equal rights for homosexuals that's wrong?

Do tell, what was offensive?

[AmerDem]

25. adjust your statement to....

"I think most REPUBLICAN voters will agree with me".

[HighJinx]

28. Has Mary made a public statement?

She is campaigning so what's her public position on Bush's anti-gay platform?

[AmerDem]

31. I have no idea if she spoke out yet or not ( media)

but BOTH of her parents have. She is also a PAID campaign member for Cheney. Her lesbianism has been talked about at great length in the media with both her parents involved. The real issue here is the embarrassment her parents feel about her and how it effects their party's standards.

Sad isn't it that a mother and father would actually be caught in a self generated moral struggle between their own flesh and blood and the hypocritical ideology of a political party?:puke:

[MADem]

29. I think you just might be

...tossing 'chum' over the side in an effort to get a few bites.

I do not think you will find many in this forum.

[ibegurpard]

30. Which kind of "chum" are you?

The friend kind or the bait kind?

[Radio-Active]

27. We still don't know how Mary Cheney felt..

but after Edwards brought her up in the Veep debate, Mary Cheney went out of her way to shake his hand.. she even waited to do so. It appeared to be a friendly exchange between the two.

I don't see how Kerry doing this is any different from what Edwards did.