An Answer to Ward's "LesbianGate" Question

Ward asked why John Kerry and John Edwards seemed so obsessed with Vice President Cheney's gay daughter. It is strange from one point of view. After all, the Cheney kids have always stayed out of the limelight, avoiding comment about politics except as volunteers for their dad's campaign. It is not like the Senators John invoke the popular Bush Twins very often. The fact of it is, the Johns are counting on a misperception of the Religious Right and Christians in general. "Christian Wackos," They think in their pointy-but-well-coifed heads, "Are inherently bigots who would rather string up any homosexual they come across, no matter who they are. As a matter of fact, the whole Religious Right are rabid haters of any person who is not Religiously Right." So they are counting on the mere mention of "Cheney" and "Lesbian" in the same sentence will either weaken support for the adminstration or at least suppress voter turnout.

Of course, anyone who has ever actually spoken with a Christian or a member of the Religious Right and listened knows that this is just foolishness. Christians are people of love - by and large, we have our idiots just like anyone else - and do not hate those we disagree with. We simply feel they are in the wrong morally, and in the case of Gay Marriage politically. As a matter of fact, on every issue but gay marriage the Log Cabin Republicans have been happily allying with the other conservative groups who happen to be Religious.

But then, John Kerry is never one to deal with reality when a simplification or stereotype will do. Especially in a debate.