[GraniteStateConservative]

Call me skeptical. Kerry has come out against gay marriage, not for it. He says his position is the same as Dick Cheney's ("I think states are likely to come to different conclusions [on civil unions], and that's appropriate. I don't think there should necessarily be a federal policy in that area. I think we ought to do everything we can to tolerate and accommodate whatever kind of relationships people want to enter into." -- October 5, 2000). Maybe if you talk about judicial activism as a grand issue rather than just this one thing.

[LS]

I disagree. Kerry will be unable to separate himself from his state and Bush can maneuver him into some clear pro-gay positions. I think Kerry is in trouble on this.

[mwl1]

Fine. If Kerry wants to demonstrate his opposition to gay marriage, let him vote for the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage sometime right after Labor Day.

He cannot duck the issue. He will also be forced to vote on making the tax cuts permanent, on judges, on defense appropriations, and all sorts of things he will not want to vote on. Either way he votes, he loses either his base or alienates the middle of the American electorate. And we get him off the campaign trail for much of September and indeed part of October too.

We are so very fortunate to control the legislative calendar heading into this election.