Was mentioning Mary Cheney a good idea?

[BeyondGeography]

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. i think it means nothing

as in its only their base who thinks homosexuality is sinful...so let them deal with this...in my opinion he could have said mary cheney has red hair...if asked his opinion on red heads...they think its wrong let them deal with it...we dont so we should stop pretending kerry insulted mary cheney by calling her a lesbian..she is one..

[arcos]

2. I think it is brilliant!

It forces Republicans to talk about gay issues, how there shouldn't be any discrimination, whick pisses their conservative base off.

It also motivates liberals when * talks about tolerance because we all know he's a hatemonger... it is a win-win situation.

[jab105]

3. ABC news said that the undecideds were very turned off bby the comment...

personally, I don't get it, she is very OPENLY gay...
They weren't offended by Keyes...

But, this is definitely taking away from Kerry's blowout yesterday...there was barely a mention that Kerry won...and on to how everyone was so incredibly offended that Kerry brought up Cheneys daughter...

[Piperay]

16. If that is all it takes to turn-off

the 'undecided' than they never would've voted for Kerry anyway.

I agree it takes away from Kerry's third debate victory though.

[bigwillq]

4. My opinion:

The media is spinning this story so out of control.

I think Kerry said what he did with the best intentions.
He's trying to show that homosexuality is part of human nature and doesn't have anything to do with politics or whose family you're born into. He was trying to humanize the issue since the right wing thinks gays are just freaks.

I think that Mary should be pissed off at her father and Shrub, and not at Kerry, for trying to ban gay rights.

[rinsd]

8. I don't think he had best intentions....

Good intentions in terms of humanizing would have been relating a story someone from his family or a friend of his or whatever.

I think he was going for a dig or much more cynically reminding the yahoos that Cheney has a gay daughter.

Again. I think this is a tempest in a teapot and will blow over by the time the Yankees finish pasting the Red Sox Friday night.

Edit: I wanted to add I certainly agree with you about the media going gonzo over this.

[bigwillq]

11. And I have to add, I think you're right about the Yankees!!

And I too think it'll pass very shortly.

But I do disagree, I didn't take it at all like an insult. Oh, well.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

19. Honestly, I thought that at first, but I have to admit that

there had to be some political motivation involved. I think he was trying to call out Bush's hypocrisy on gay marriage, and drive a wedge between Bush and Cheney. I don't think he was trying to smear Mary Cheney, but he was looking for a political benefit. Heck, the Repubs have done worse, and this phony outrage by the media is hardly worthy taking seriously.

[sandnsea]

5. He shouldn't have said it

It was a terrible miscalculation and Kerry rarely makes them. We'd be laughing about "education" today if he hadn't said it. Too bad, onward.

[BeyondGeography]

12. Personally, I think we lose more than we gain

So I don't know why Kerry decided to bring her name up.

But what do I know?

Hopefully, this goes away by the weekend, which I think it will.

[AlinPA]

17. Media frenzy wiped out all the good things that Kerry said and all the

idotic stuff Bush* said. Its not the remark, its the media frenzy!

[rinsd]

6. A combo of C & E

Yes it has become a distraction The campaign had to know this. It seemed part of the plan in the questions of gay marriage came up.

That said, this will just be another minor kerfuffle in a long line this election.

[quaker bill]

7. I doesn't really matter

She has been well known and openly a lesbian for at least 5 years now.

The comment largely irritated people who were not voting for Kerry under any circumstances anyway. It was stated in a way that focused on compassion and equality. I will bet that over the next few days it does more good than harm.

[Malikshah]

9. If Hilary Clinton was fair game from 1992-2000

Then by all means, Kerry's referring to the lesbian daughter of his oppponent's VP, who works for the campaign and has a history of being a liaison for company's and the gay community is more than a good idea.

It's necessary--he would not be Vigilant. He would not be true to his Integrity if he did not mention that.

It was not an attack, it was an example given.

For the Cheneys, the pundits, Log Cabin Republicans, etc. to cry foul is disgusting and shameful.

[texasmom]

27. Just remember that

the Republican presidential candidates lost from 1992-1998. I think it was a bad risk and I don't understand why we took it. I think he should have been hammering Bush and her father.

[mumon]

10. Yes- it makes it a WEDGIE for Repugs!

that's why they're whining about it!

[Nicholas_J]

13. Go to Congress.org

I think Kerry's statement had the effect Kerry wanted. One letter does not indicate much, but if one is printed, it indicated that many have been written.

Letters have started appearing from evangelical Christians highly critical of Bush's "I dont know" response to the question on whether gays choose to be gay or not.

They very firmly indicate that Bush's statements about gays last night indicate that he is NO CHRISTIAN if he can make a non statement like that.

Bush cannot hope to win by attempting to appeal to voters who are still undecided. He must nol lose any of his base. Kerry and Edwards statements about Cheney and Cheney's position, and Bush's refusal to state openly what evangelicals beleive about gays will more than likelt lose Bush a few votes if they do not gain any for Kerry. They can keep evangelicals at home, and that is what Kerry wants. Keeping even a small percentage of the evangelical base from taking part in the election will have a very positive effect for Kerry.

Bush is attacking Kerry stating he an ultra liberal, but Kerry has just said to a considerable portion of Bush's base that Bush is no evangelical conservative Christian.

[Princess Turandot]

14. I think it will have no negative effect..

at least not on Kerry. On the CBS national news tonight, they showed the clip of Kerry, the clip of Lynne Cheney, then said "however..."
as they showed Dick Cheney thanking Edwards for his 'kind comments' abt how they were good parents to their gay daughter. Tempest in a tea-pot.

[Progressive420]

15. I have to say I support JK 100000%

but I thought the comment about Cheney's daughter was totally uncalled for it's really hard to have a debate about the issues when you are saying things like this and it may hurt us cause the repugs are spinning the hell out of it and many Americans want be able to see through it to the real issues.

[high density]

18. Remember that bunny suit photo?

Well this issue is going to be just as unimportant on November 2nd.

[kostya]

20. Hit the CNN poll on this topic now, needs a little help. <EOM>

[Forkboy]

21. A mix of options 1 and 3

I'm kind of leaning that it was good,but it's still shaking out so who knows?

[fujiyama]

22. I went with

"It won't mean shit".

Actually I'm more for "It shouldn't mean shit". I personally don't know if this can have an effect. The media will try to make it have an effect. I hope it had an effect in driving a wedge between fundies and the administration. I hope it shows these people that gay people are friends, neighbors, sons, and daughters...and the question must be asked, why are they so ashamed of their daughter being gay? Kerry didn't out her. This has been known.

If informing some homophobe that the VP has a lesbian daughter, and if that pisses him off and makes him less likely to vote for Bush....then I can't say it hurts.

Ultimately though this is just another example of the media trying to take the attention away from the fact that Kerry kicked Bush's ass in all three debates...and Bush lied his ass off with that "I never said I wasn't concerned with Osama". That quote should be played every other minute with that clip of his press conference.

[lakemonster11]

23. In retrospect?

Maybe not, but only because of how the media is going crazy over nothing. I'm not sure that could have been predicted.

I think that it was perfectly reasonable to mention her, as she is a famously out Lesbian and has been the standard topic of conversation whenever the topic of gay marriage has come up, whether it's in the Vice Presidential Debate or in one of Cheney's interviews or speeches.

I also think that only homophobic, bigoted people would think that referring to an openly gay woman as a Lesbian is an attack. While Kerry probably did think in the back of his mind that mentioning Cheney's gay daughter could divide the right by pointing out to the few people who haven't been paying attention that the Cheneys are supportive of their gay daughter, I think he was mainly just trying to tie the issue of gay rights and gay marriage into everyday family life by citing the Lesbian daughter of a prominent American.

[liberal N proud]

24. It is insignificant!

The GOP had that question in there to try and trick Kerry, He handled it well and this is the only thing the can pull out of it to cry about.
Send them some tissue and move on!

[Zynx]

25. In the same position, I wouldn't have done it.

In the end , it won't matter.

[texasmom]

26. I wish he hadn't done it.

I even cringed when Edwards brought her up even though I don't think anything is wrong with it. The very thing you don't want to happen is what is happening now. I think it will blow over, but it is taking precious time during these last days away from the hammering of Bush that could be going on.
I just don't understand what they were trying to accomplish by him talking specifically about the Cheneys' daughter. It seems like it was a conscious effort, and if that's true, they better get out there and counter-attack now. They had to know the reaction would possibly be like this. It's sucking the air away that should be filled with all of Bush's failures.

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

28. We're getting suckered by another fake issue

Gay Marriage? Who cares?

Its a pitch in the dirt issue that signifies nothing. Just like Gun Control, Abortion, etc.

Are you going to vote against your own prosperity because of two men kissing?

That's the way we should handle this "issue".