Was it wrong for Kerry to mention Cheney's daughter?

Didn't seem like a big deal to me, but they made a huge deal about it on the radio today.

 

It was a little tasteless, in my opinion.

 

At the very least, a tactical error.

 

I don't know if it was wrong, but it was pretty lame.

As much as I loathe Dickhead Cheney, I don't think it's right to continuously put his daughter on the spot like that for her sexuality, and for political gain especially.

Then again, Dickhead was the first one to put his daughter on the spot over her sexuality, TO WIN OVER SWING VOTERS.

 

Cheney's daughter is already publicly "out," though. I didn't think twice about the comment. It seemed like a logical way of "bringing the issue home," so to speak. It would be very different if Kerry had "outed" Cheney's daughter, or if he had spoken of her in a derragatory manner. If there is nothing wrong or shameful about being gay, as Kerry was suggesting, then why does it matter? What is there to hide?

Also, the daughter is part of the Dick/Bush campaign. Doesn't that make her fair game, if an attack was the intent?

 

Because something as insignificant as integrity should never get in the way of slandering the other guy.

 

Both Edwards and Kerry mentioned her to try to drive a wedge between the Bush admin and his traditional support base. I don't think it will cause many Bush supporters to not vote for Bush. It can have a negative effect of turning off Kerry supporters (or undecideds) who think he's using it for political gain.

 

I found it rather disturbing...and I find Cheney disturbing. I keep talking to people who want to dress up like Cheney for Halloween.

 

Ron Reagan made a funny gaff on MSNBC. He said people complained it would be unfair for Cheney, a 70 year old, to stand all through the debate. Matthews said, "Ron, are you aware that Cheney is only 62?"

 

No, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. He didn't say anything bad about her; he just said that she'd probably tell people it wasn't a choice. And the whole idea of "forcing her into the spotlight" is just stupid. She's openly gay and she's the daughter of a sitting vice-president. Of course she's going to be in the spotlight.

Would it have been different if instead of Mary Cheney, he had mentioned Chrissy Gephardt or Andrew Sullivan or Jim McGreevy?

Andrew Sullivan proposed a thought-experiment: Suppose the sitting president was proposing a constitutional amendment banning interracial marriage, and the vice-president's white daughter was married to a black man. Would it be inappropriate for the challenger to point this out?

For those of you who say it was "tasteless" or a "low blow," I challenge you to identify exactly who was harmed by the statement, and how they were harmed. Unless the Bush/Cheney ticket is ashamed of Mary Cheney's sexuality, what's the problem?

 

I just find it kind of tasteless to bring the candidates' families into the debates, whatever the situation.

 

Eh, maybe. But they're obviously going to be in the spotlight throughout the campaign anyway, mostly by choice.

Kerry's comment was no more offensive than any other mention in the media of anyone related to Bush, Cheney, Kerry, or Edwards. There was even a question in the debate about the candidates' families. Neither of them seemed uncomfortable answering it.

 

All this hoopla over Kerry's comment is just plan crap. It's not as if the world didn't already know that Cheney's daughter was gay. It's not as if he revealed some big family secret. He didn't. It was simply an example he used to say that he didn't think that gays choose to be gay.

It was not politically motivated, in my opinion. Now...talk about your political motivations!! The fact that the Republican's are turning this into such an issue IS politically motivated. I mean where was their outrage when Edwards mentioned Cheney's daughter? We didn't hear all this crap then. They are utilizing all they can muster to counter the fact that their boy lost the debate, all THREE debates.

Geeeeez! What a bunch of whiners!

 

Cheney has talked about his own daughter for crying out loud. On several occasions. So where is the outrage over a father politiking upon the shoulders of his own daughter's personal sexual preferences?

 

I dont see anything wrong with it at all, cheenys daughter from what i heard has been public of the fact that she is a lezbian, Kerry did'nt say it in a way to cut her down.

 

In what way was it slander?

 

Edwards made a similar comment during the vice-presidential debate. Did Cheney become indignant at the time? No. In fact, he THANKED EDWARDS FOR THE KIND WORDS ABOUT HIS FAMILY.

Only now, after Karl Rove has had time to think of a plan, have the Cheneys begun to feign indignation with Kerry's comments.

 

Ya, I don't see why it is such a big deal. If I was Cheney's daughter I would use his position to advance gay rights anyways.

 

Although I favor Kerry over Bush, I must admit that I was shocked by him mentioning Cheney's daughter like he did. I thought it was uncalled for. I mean, do you really think that Cheney's daughter enjoyed that comment for all to hear? True, he didn't say anything offensive, yet, I think that just him mentioning it in the debate was not right.

Peace, love, and happiness

 

And yes, I realize that everyone pretty much knew she was a lesbian anyway, but I just feel that he didn't need to do that.

Peace, love, and happiness.