Mary Cheney is a Lesbian
Big effing deal. I don’t even think the Kerry campaign should re-address this in an apologetic tone, it’s so outrageous. Unless Mary specifically asks for an apology.
She’s a grown-up for Chrissakes. The campaign is acting like Kerry and Edwards picked on their poor, handicapped child. She’s hardly handicapped. She’s capable of speaking her mind and probably more eloquently than Bush speaks. Kerry and Edwards didn’t raise the gay issue nor diminish Mary or other gays. They responded to questions from moderators. And the only reasons the moderators even asked the questions is because Republicans made being gay an issue in this campaign.
I don’t even get the GOP strategy here. They’ve appealled to the homophobe vote and now they’re concerned the homophobes are going to feel outrage that Kerry and Edwards said something mean or tawdry about a lesbian? Huh?
Read what Kerry and Edwards said and decide for yourself. And then ask yourself if there’s any reason Mary Cheney should be muzzled by the Bush campaign. And if they’re not muzzling her then the simplest way a responsible press should address this issue is to ask to interview Mary Cheney. Otherwise, the press should stop reporting it like it’s an actual issue.
Here’s the perfect example of the press on this, as theis columnist manages to contradict himself by saying “it has long been public knowledge” then saying:
Yet, for many people, Kerry’s mention of Mary Cheney’s homosexuality was the first time they had heard of it. It is not widely discussed in the media. So in effect, Kerry’s debate remark was an “outing.”
How could it be both, you freaking idiot?
If Bush and Cheney start saying “Kerry and Edwards say the world is round” should the press start asking why Kerry and Edwards are so unreasonable? Or should they ask the more obvious questions of Bush and Cheney?
October 16th, 2004 at 9:16 am
I thought Bill Press handled this well. He said, (paraphrasiing here):
what was it that John Kerry said about Mary Cheney? He said she was a child of God. What is it the Bushies are doing about Mary Cheney? They pushed a Constitutional amendment to make her a second class citizen.
October 16th, 2004 at 9:51 am
I wasn’t thrilled with Kerry bringing it up, mainly because when Edwards AND Kerry make sure it ends up on record in the debates, it’s a talking point.
Why is it a talking point? Because - and the guy you quoted is right, here - a lot of people haven’t heard it, mainly because they only hear about anything filtered through Fox and Limbaugh, etc. People who aren’t going out of their way to point out that Cheney is an accomplish to a strong attempt to make sure his own daughter is never accorded full citizenship rights in this country.
This makes me very torn, because I think this IS relevent information to know, but I also find it distasteful to hear Edwards and Kerry do it. NOT because they’re picking on Cheney’s poor defenseless ‘child’ but because they weren’t sending a message to people who then think “Wow, Cheney’s really a hypocrite!” I think they were sending a signal to people they hoped would think, “What? Cheney’s got a gay daughter? She should burn in hell! He should burn in hell too for not disowning her!”
I just don’t like the good guys trying to appeal to the prejudices of the ignorant, no matter how necessary it might be politically. As a private citizen, I reserve the right to be disgusted by the less savory elements of politics, whether it benefits my side or not.
That said… I think that what the Cheneys are now doing (the ones that are being allowed to speak, that is) is to attempt to send a signal to that same crew of ignorant hellfire spewing homophobes. That is, they’re trying to get the sympathy vote by suggesting that Mary’s homosexuality is some unfortunate condition they have to cope with, gently, gently, let’s not talk about this in polite company. Of course they care about her - she’s their daughter - but pity them for the burden her sexuality imposes on them. As if she were crippled, or an alcoholic, or addicted to gambling… it’s unfortunate, but haven’t we all had these kind of challenges from our children no matter how well we’ve raised them?
If they can succeed in painting it that way without overtly saying that, they can defuse the homophobic reaction, while still appearing to support their daughter, while also slamming Kerry for being rude.
And that’s why, in addition to my distaste for the message Kerry and Edwards was sending, I also think it was a politically idiotic thing to do. No Dem is ever going to manage to appeal to the ignorant rightwingers better than the rightwingers can themselves, and they seriously just should not try.
October 16th, 2004 at 10:47 am
Lynda-
I hear your points. But I just don’t agree. 1) I think it was a genuine remark NOT intended to be divisive. I haven’t seen the Kerry/Edwards team demonstrate any in this whole campaign while it’s the stock in trade of Bush/Cheney. And, 2) I don’t believe for a second that there’s anything to apologize for or be embarrassed about in being gay nor do I think Kerry or
Too bad the Cheney’s keep her hidden and won’t let her speak up on her own behalf. …if she feels she needs to be defended from a simple, true reference that was appropos to the situation. Edwards do. It’s Lynn Cheney who has put the concept in a negative light. She sounds screechingly defensive and it makes me wonder what she thinks of her daughter. But I think and I believe Kerry takes Mary Cheney to be a perfectly legitimate person.
October 16th, 2004 at 11:04 am
Oh, don’t misunderstand me - I think he does, too, and I think the Cheneys are using her for all she’s worth. But I also think that there was a ‘gotcha’ quality to bringing it up that was intended to force them to defend homosexuality in their family to people who would regard it as something that was negative.
October 16th, 2004 at 11:15 am
Continuing the discussion because I see we’re in fundamental agreement…
I think, this subject being open now, it’s time for the Cheneys to tell us where their outrage was when Alan Keyes said *specifically* of Many Cheney “[she is] a ’selfish hedonist’ because she is a lesbian.”
“Child of God” is insulting coming from a Dem but “selfish hedonist” is fair dinkum when it’s said by a Rep (no matter how looney)? So, who is playing politics here. And when you put this in context with Lynn Cheney’s theatrics for the benefit of cameras, what kind of “mom” uses her own daughter that way!? Who’s “cheap and tawdry” now, Lynn?
October 16th, 2004 at 11:21 am
Are they claiming that the Vice Presidential debate never happened?
October 16th, 2004 at 11:32 am
Daily Howler talks about this today, and I think he’s right.
Kerry screwed up big time. Middle America is barely comfortable with the word “gay”. The word “lesbian” is just not said in polite company.
Had Kerry used the word “gay” the outrage would not have connected like it has.
Yes, as Howler says, Middle America should NOT react like that. And in 2015 they won’t. But this is 2004, the fact is that is how Middle America reacts, and the fact is Kerry needs to win this election.
The only good news is the timing … this will be all-but forgotten in 2 weeks.
October 16th, 2004 at 2:42 pm
What they’re afraid of is Kerry reminding Evangelicals that President Cheney has a lesbian daughter. It angers people like Pat Buchanan because Kerry threw this wedge issue right back in their camp. Cheney and family are feigning outrage to pacify their base who have been told over and over, an amendment is necessary because the 700 Club says so. In other words they fear Kerry is putting doubt in their base. Nice.
October 16th, 2004 at 2:43 pm
Sorry the bold got away from me
October 16th, 2004 at 6:27 pm
See my comments in Fred’s post. Forgotten in two weeks isn’t good enough. The GOP is regaining the mo-mo on this issue, as incredulous as that seems. If Kerry doesn’t contain it fast, it could hurt him.