Kerry "Drags" Cheney's Gay Daughter into the Political Fray

rant - I just heard a song the other day that sounded like the band ripped off that catchy sanford and son theme sound, and boy was I pissed!

Originally posted by marg6043
Cheney's daughter is lesbian we all know she never has hidden the fact and I think she deserves respect for it, and good for her to show her true self, now Kerry talk about it so what. Everybody knows is not secret.

So how would you like it if you mentioned lets say there was something wrong with your son. Then I use that mishap everytime for my purpose to gain an advantage. I belive it is a cheap shot. Im sorry but I dont use other peoples misfortune for my own good. Kerry and Edwards are both lying bastards.

Originally posted by IBM
So how would you like it if you mentioned lets say there was something wrong with your son. Then I use that mishap everytime for my purpose to gain an advantage. I belive it is a cheap shot. Im sorry but I dont use other peoples misfortune for my own good. Kerry and Edwards are both lying bastards.

There is nothing wrong with Mary Cheney.
It is not 'misfortunate' to be gay.
Therefore there is no 'cheap shot'.

Originally posted by shanti23
There is nothing wrong with Mary Cheney.
It is not 'misfortunate' to be gay.
Therefore there is no 'cheap shot'.

Then why bring it up at all unless as a slimy political maneuver?

Originally posted by IBM

Originally posted by marg6043
Cheney's daughter is lesbian we all know she never has hidden the fact and I think she deserves respect for it, and good for her to show her true self, now Kerry talk about it so what. Everybody knows is not secret.

So how would you like it if you mentioned lets say there was something wrong with your son. Then I use that mishap everytime for my purpose to gain an advantage. I belive it is a cheap shot. Im sorry but I dont use other peoples misfortune for my own good. Kerry and Edwards are both lying bastards.

So being gay is a misfortune huh? All I have to say to you is get your head out your ass!!!!!

Originally posted by jsobecky

Originally posted by shanti23
There is nothing wrong with Mary Cheney.
It is not 'misfortunate' to be gay.
Therefore there is no 'cheap shot'.

Then why bring it up at all unless as a slimy political maneuver?

Um....because the question was about homosexuality? Therefore it was fair game to mention Mary, who is an openly gay person working for the same people that would sooner not have her mentioned for anything than to openly celebrate who and what she is.

Lynne and Dick Cheney Hippocrits?

They acknowledge that their daughter is gay and say that they love her and yet they support the ultra right wing anti-gay agenda. Mary Cheney is a professional gay rights activist who won gay benefits for all gay Coors Beer employees and yet Dick and Lynne Cheney won't even allow their daughter to show up with them at the RNC or other public events. If they weren't ashamed of their daughter then why wouldn't they let her be with them like the rest of the family during public events. Rush Limbaugh made a monster deal out of this and who would be surprised as he is a warped drug addict with not enough brains to realize that he is basically showing the entire world the hypocrisy of the current republican administration.

This is just another example of how polarized the country is. The Bush/Cheney base is inherently homophobic--of course it's something they will deny through their teeth, but this issue just highlights how uncomfortable the idea of homosexuality sits with them. Its better to keep it under wraps, or "don't ask, don't tell." The mere thought of using Mary Cheney's name associated with the word "lesbian" is inherently a smear--regardless of the fact that she is out and in a commited relationship with another woman.

The reason why the Cheneys' are seizing Kerry's use of her name is an opportunity to energize their base, which is anti-gay. That is why the Bushies are so appalled--how dare you remind our homophobic Christian base that we have a sinner in our midst?? Bushies equate this to their own tactic of the push-polling that Rove did in KKK country pointing out that McCain had a black baby.

Those who are not homophobic see the Cheneys' outrage for what it is--hypocrisy and a pure political play. Kerry didn't say anything about Mary Cheney that would be construed as disparaging to anyone unless they are inherently anti-gay. If Mary Cheney was so upset about being used a political pawn, why in god's name would her father further prolong her pain by incorporating it into his stump speeches? Why would her mother be mouthing off to any reporter that will listen about how upset she is? Kerry issued an apology to the Cheneys' when he first heard that they were upset (which they refused to accept)--why are they continuing to use this as an issue if it really is causing her so much pain?

The conservatives brought the family issue to the forefront. Family values are considered to be a priority for many people, especially Christians, when chosing their candidates. So it is only natural that people now dissect a candidates family when making their evaluation--Dick Cheney knew that he was bringing his whole family under scrutiny when he entered the public arena, even his gay daughter. By first denying that she was gay, and then using her to try to reach out to the homosexual community and putting her on the campaign payroll, he brought her further into the spotlight. Did he expect that the discrepancy between having a gay daughter and supporting a party that has a large Christian base that believes homosexuality is a sin wouldn't come back to haunt him later?

I truly feel sorry for his daughter--hopefully the Cheneys just put on this homophobic act for political reasons. However, I suspect by their behavior that they really just tolerate her sexuality and don't understand why she is the way she is. This is why Cheney doesn't really fight for her. If I had a gay child, I would be fighting for their rights, regardless of how my boss felt (even if he is the president.) Blood is thicker than water.






[edit on 15-10-2004 by lmgnyc]

Originally posted by lmgnyc


I truly feel sorry for his daughter--hopefully the Cheneys just put on this homophobic act for political reasons. However, I suspect by their behavior that they really just tolerate her sexuality and don't understand why she is the way she is. This is why Cheney doesn't really fight for her. If I had a gay child, I would be fighting for their rights, regardless of how my boss felt (even if he is the president.) Blood is thicker than water.






[edit on 15-10-2004 by lmgnyc]

Well spoken. It's not as easy as you might think though. I know my parents love me, but still are voting for Bush. I have questioned them on this and they say that they like his other policies and say that the gay marriage amendment will not pass anyway so why not vote for Bush. Incouragable isn't it? I love my parents but dissagree with them on this issue so intently that I can't even talk politics with them at all without getting mad.

The hardcore left will do everything in their power to make blame the victims in this matter, calling the Cheneys hypocrites, but the undecided moderates throughout America, those who have walked the face of this earth for many decades and who have raised their own families, are not going to take lightly the unwarranted jab at the Bush Administration by John Kerry.

If you watch the tape, you can hear that Kerry almost chokes on the word "lesbian" and the look of satisfaction on his face tells the rest of the story. The mature, the astute, and the decorous will be outraged by this indefensible act. It was the worst gaffe in the history of Presidential debates.

Originally posted by MacMerdin
Um....because the question was about homosexuality? Therefore it was fair game to mention Mary, who is an openly gay person working for the same people that would sooner not have her mentioned for anything than to openly celebrate who and what she is.

Ummm...then why didn't he bring up Barney Frank? Or Rosie O'Donnell?

Ummm...why did he need to use the word lesbian instead of calling her gay?

Ummm..why did he stammer before he said it, unless he knew he was out-of-bounds?

........unless it was a cheap political shot?

Candidates' families, especially their children, should be off limits.

He was sucking up to McCain all night, why didn't he talk about McCain's little black daughter? It would have been in context; Bush was asked about meeting with black leaders?

He was promoting his stand on stem cell research, why didn't he boast that Christopher Reeves would be alive if he were president, like his ambulance-chasing running mate did?

These scumbags will use human pain and suffering for their own political gain. And you condone it by calling it "fair game".

And I definitely think that it exposes Kerry's homophobia for what it is... raging.


[EDIT to add Kerry' fear of homosexuals]

[edit on 15-10-2004 by jsobecky]

Originally posted by jsobecky

Originally posted by MacMerdin

Ummm...then why didn't he bring up Barney Frank? Or Rosie O'Donnell?

Because he already used Cheney's daughter...why the need for multiple characters.....and yes he used it politically...duh...you think there'd be this reaction if he would have used Ellen or any of the above?

Ummm...why did he need to use the word lesbian instead of calling her gay?

Because Lesbians like to be referred to as lesbian and NOT gay. Gay connotates men, they don't like anything to do with men....even being grouped into the same group as them.

Ummm..why did he stammer before he said it, unless he knew he was out-of-bounds?

........unless it was a cheap political shot?

Yes, a political shot......not so much cheap though as you right wingers are screeming.

Candidates' families, especially their children, should be off limits.

He was sucking up to McCain all night, why didn't he talk about McCain's little black daughter? It would have been in context; Bush was asked about meeting with black leaders?

So now McCain's black daughter is a Black LEADER?

He was promoting his stand on stem cell research, why didn't he boast that Christopher Reeves would be alive if he were president, like his ambulance-chasing running mate did?

Exactly, because his ambulance chasing partner already has.

These scumbags will use human pain and suffering for their own political gain. And you condone it by calling it "fair game".

I really take offense to this statement. So being gay in your eyes is human pain and suffering? Only because people like you make it so!!!!!

Originally posted by jsobecky
Ummm...why did he need to use the word lesbian instead of calling her gay?

Why would calling a woman a lesbian or gay make any iota of a difference? Do you consider the term lesbian shameful for some reason?

I think that your statement proves my point and reeks of anti-gay sentiment. Neither term is unacceptable--they are interchangeable. (Well, unless you are describing a gay man.)

Kerry was not maligning Mary Cheney by using her name, but the Cheney's and their anti-gay base felt maligned because they are not comfortable with the fact that she is gay. They would rather hide her in the closet or at the back of a crowd. It is akin to people that feel that just knowing a black person acquits them of being racist. He used her name because she is relevent to the debate--she was discussed just a week prior in the same context--with no objections raised. That makes her more "popular" than Barney Frank or Rosie O'Donnell. And more relevent because she is Dick Cheney's daughter. Accusing Kerry of doing this as a dirty trick is just a desperate political ploy.

I guess this is how America really views the issue:

"An overwhelming majority of voters believe it was wrong for Democratic nominee John F. Kerry to have mentioned in Wednesday's presidential debate that Vice President Cheney's daughter was a lesbian, according to the latest Washington Post tracking survey.

Nearly two in three likely voters -- 64 percent -- said Kerry's comment was "inappropriate," including more than four in 10 of his own supporters and half of all swing voters. A third -- 33 percent -- thought the remark was appropriate.

Kerry mentioned that Cheney's daughter was a lesbian in response to a question from moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News asking the candidates if they believed "homosexuality is a choice?"

After President Bush had answered that he "did not know," Kerry began by saying, " . . . If you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's being who she was, she's being who she was born as."

www.washingtonpost.com...

Originally posted by MacMerdin
[Because he already used Cheney's daughter...why the need for multiple characters.....and yes he used it politically...duh...you think there'd be this reaction if he would have used Ellen or any of the above?

So you concede that it was done for political fodder. I accept your surrender. 'Nuff said.

Ummm...why did he need to use the word lesbian instead of calling her gay?

Because Lesbians like to be referred to as lesbian and NOT gay. Gay connotates men, they don't like anything to do with men....even being grouped into the same group as them.

So you're the board expert on homosexuality and their preference of monikers? Gimme a break. Blanket statements like "they don't like anything to do with men" show your ignorance.

I really take offense to this statement. So being gay in your eyes is human pain and suffering? Only because people like you make it so!!!!!

You can read whatever you want to into my statement. You can ignore the fact that I also mentioned Christopher Reeves (pain and suffering). You may be gay. Personally, I don't care, and I couldn't care less if you take offense. Don't parade your sexuality looking for pity.

Originally posted by MacMerdin

Originally posted by IBM

Originally posted by marg6043
Cheney's daughter is lesbian we all know she never has hidden the fact and I think she deserves respect for it, and good for her to show her true self, now Kerry talk about it so what. Everybody knows is not secret.

So how would you like it if you mentioned lets say there was something wrong with your son. Then I use that mishap everytime for my purpose to gain an advantage. I belive it is a cheap shot. Im sorry but I dont use other peoples misfortune for my own good. Kerry and Edwards are both lying bastards.

So being gay is a misfortune huh? All I have to say to you is get your head out your ass!!!!!

Well, if being gay was a fortunate thing, then this could have in no way offended Cheney or anyone. huh?
I just want to make you see what you're saying. Of course, i dont find anything wrong with the gays I know, in fact, the gay men I have known have been the best friends ive ever had in my life. They dont hide the fact they're gay. They're openly gay. So is Mary, therefore, there is nothing wrong in Kerry's comment. Anything out of Kerrys mouth WILL be used in the Republican arena against him. But thats dirty politics.