I watched the CNN/You Tube Debate with the Democratic candidates last night both in prime time and again during the late night repeat (I was working the midnight shift, we have a TV at the front desk) and I was fairly impressed with both the questioners and the questioned. For once the politicians had to get out of their sound bite comfort zone and respond to real questions from real people. There was a wide range of questions and civil rights for GLBT persons came up quite a bit, including two ladies who asked point blank if the candidates would be supportive of their right to marry each other. Most of the candidates offered some version of support whether it be through civil unions with all the rights of marriage to marriage itself. Senator Edwards was asked why it was all right to cite religious reasoning to support denial of civil rights for gays as it was for slavery and votes for women and civil rights for blacks. His reply was that while he does not believe in gay marriage for religious reasons, he would not let his personal beliefs prohibit him from supporting civil unions and he reiterated his wife's support for gay marriage noting that they had differing opinions on the subject. Senator Clinton seemed to come out on top as she was forthright and did not flinch at the hard questions. I though it was interesting when one questioner asked both Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton who was the strongest advocate for women's rights. I agree that Senator Edwards has been a champion for the rights of women, but Senator Clinton has been on the forefront there also. I thought she handled every question put to her with style, grace, and political savvy born of her years in governor's mansions and the White House, she is mastering the art of looking Presidential and sounding reasonable at the same time. I think the present occupant of the White House could pick up a pointer or two from here. I also could not believe that someone could ask Senator Obama why he wasn't Black enough, and was pleased with the way he handled the response. There was a lot of ground covered and the debate dragged in some places, but Anderson Cooper did a fabulous job as moderator pushing the candidates to answer the questions when they tried to get evasive, pretty much keeping them on topic with out being overbearing while being insistent about it. I will be glad when the field of candidates gets winnowed down a bit further into the campaign, I would like to see Senators Edwards, Clinton and Obama in a debate by themselves, as they are the cream of the Democratic crop. I personally would like to see a Clinton/Obama or a Obama/Clinton ticket up against whoever "lucks out" and gets the Republican nomination as they have no real winners over there. What I would really like to see is an ethnically diverse GLBT ticket, but I am not going to hold my breath for that this time around though the time is coming when a Lesbian or Gay will be able to get into the Executive branch, would that not be a kick in the ass to the right wing nuts. (They could use a good swift kick in the ass if you ask me!!) I look forward to more of this format as it seemed to prove itself successful. I will watch the Republican version on September 17th, but I don't expect to see as many good answers from their current crop of candidates as we got from the Dem's last night. Maybe there is hope for America yet, all we have to do is get rid of George, Dick and company, and it can't happen soon enough to suit me.
I guess that is the end of my rant for today, so I will give you something good to look at and get back with you tomorrow. So until next time as always, Enjoy!
