Wayne Besen - Author, Activist, Columnist, Public Speaker

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

(Weekly Column)

This week, the Democratic presidential aspirants will appear at a gay forum in Los Angeles sponsored by The Human Rights Campaign and broadcast on Logo television. While I am interested in where the candidates stand on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, what I really want is an ENDA-this-campaign.

Iraqi Parliament members have taken heat this month for vacationing to escape the Baghdad heat. However, after watching the tedious, never ending presidential race in America, I think they might be on to something. Our presidential candidates could desperately use a vacation as much as we need an extended holiday from them. Even a political junkie, like myself, is afraid of an overdose.

I propose we declare August, "National Freedom From Politicians Month," and carve out a forced respite. With a little R&R, maybe the campaigners can remember that their spouses and children are people, not props, to be trotted on-stage for photo ops.

Don't get me wrong, we should be engaged on the issues. But, this sure feels like a marriage with all the candidates sharing only one position: In my face. Election season has become a soap opera, and the candidates dominate the Days of Our Lives. Indeed, this week several candidates announced they will be on The Daily Show, but it is hard to get excited when I have to see these campaigners daily.

Let's step away from my political pouting momentarily to applaud the Human Rights Campaign for arranging this historic debate. The gay community should be proud that we have enough clout to make the candidates, of at least one party, walk on eggshells for two hours. We expect our Washington lobby groups to exert influence and HRC's Executive Director Joe Solmonese has created a terrific way to gauge the candidates stances' on gay and lesbian issues. At the very least, we can watch otherwise articulate contenders squirm and stammer like George W. Bush while they claim they are for equality, while opposing equal marriage rights.

Whatever the Democrats' shortcomings, at least they agreed to appear in front of a gay audience. Thanks to the right wing's histrionic overreaction to the marriage issue, everything short of the M-word now seems like a moderate position, including the once third-rail of Civil Unions.

America's recent tolerance of gay people and relative support for basic rights - such as the right to hold a job - make Republican fears of addressing gay issues head on seem out of touch. Likewise, the aversion of many GOP candidates to a YouTube debate makes them appear stodgy and retro. Even Bob Dole's flaccid campaign seemed spry next to the current crop of crackers.

I am going to go out on a limb and make the early prediction that a Democrat will win the presidency unless the Republicans miraculously change the Constitution so Arnold Schwarzenegger can run. (Yes, he would win because the terrorism card still has power, and too many "Security Moms" would feel "safe" having the Terminator as president.)

While the YouTube debacle and the rejection of all things gay seems small, they are symbolic of an ossified Republican field that is change averse. And, after eight years of Bush, Americans desperately want a fresh start. Yet, Republicans seem tone deaf and don't quite understand that voters are suffering war fatigue, while the GOP candidates are debating how to call up more soldiers in combat fatigues. This is a sure way to commit political suicide, as things will never stabilize in Iraq in time for the elections.

Yes, the candidates are beginning to work my nerves, as they work the rope line, yet one more time. If I am exhausted watching this rat race I can only imagine how taxing this must be on the actual candidates. It is time the parties cut a deal to give the candidates a break, so they can give us a break from watching them. Heck, even the never-ending sport of baseball has a season where the players actually go home.

While Inauguration Day will feel more like Graduation Day, where it is time for the supposedly "new," yet tired, president to be moving on, at least a Democrat will be likely be moving into the White House.

7 Comments:

Wayne, I think a Democrat will probably win the 2008 election but I don't expect much change on equality issues, maybe the removal of DADT will be their priority above all others, big deal!

We will hear nothing new on August 9, mark my words, except for the courageous Kucinich and Gravel, neither of whom will, sadly, stand a chance of winning the nomination, assuming they will still be running. The three contenders are too closely tied to the corporate and military industrial complex, money has corrupted them on both sides of the aisle and its the reason why we have no equality and no universal health care (all three believe in a single payer system operated by an insurance company, a recipe for disaster).

None of the three have earned my vote so all you'll hear on August 9 is the same old bullshit and four more years of the same, whoever wins. We're not high on the pecking order of things, as always at the bottom of the ladder, shafted once again. With the Spitzer debacle, you'll see republicans increase their majority in the NYS senate dashing
any hopes of full marriage equality legislation ever passing. Thank you, Dems.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/08/2007 8:17 AM

I also find it quite telling that the Log Cabin people don't demand a gay forum for the republican candidates! How in good conscience can they keep on supporting a party that doesn't want them, refuses to participate in such a debate, a party that is so out of touch with reality that cares nothing about equality or good government? Madness!
posted by Anonymous, at 8/08/2007 10:33 AM

I think it is quite clear that the Dems are better on our issues than any reep. But both have demonstrated an inability to do anything for the country. Feinstein voted for southwick. The Dems supported the wattantless qiretapping that bush wanted. Neither has addressed the disaster known as iraq, and the dems could have stoppped it just by not sending a spending bill to Bush.

Our country is rapidly sliding downhill.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/08/2007 11:08 AM

Yup, and the potshots Hillary and Obama are taking at each other over foreign policy is beginning to sound like 2 kids in a school yard. Keep it presidential girls!
posted by Anonymous, at 8/08/2007 11:52 AM

Ben, the dems are only slightly better on our issues, but no way good enough. Its despicable that dems gave Bush more power to wiretap, shameful. I'm sick and tired of all of them. They really don't want us to bother them and they certainly don't want our equality either, not in their political interests and never will be. The best ones, Kucinich and Gravel are the only ones worth supporting but then they're not going to get anywhere. What a terrible situation we're in. However, I'm not giving any of the three my vote, just can't do it, they've taken me for granted for far too long. No more.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/08/2007 2:02 PM

My prediction proved to be true, nothing new from Clinton, Obama and Edwards. None get my vote but Kucinich. They all hide behind civil unions with the possibility of recognizing them at the federal level. They think that will end discrimination as far as equality goes. It won't, because CU's carry no weight and they don't mean marriage, the gold standard. How they can sit there and say they believe in equality is hypocrisy at its worst. Gravel was right on the money, "they're playing it safe". Well, that ain't good enough for me and it shouldn't be good enough for any of you, you're worth far more than that and so is your vote! I'm so angry at them. They just don't get it!
posted by Anonymous, at 8/10/2007 7:42 AM

I would support a candidate who supports civil unions. It is a step, albeit a baby step. but anything would be better than another right wing christian in the office. Our country cannot handle another such disaster.
posted by Anonymous, at 8/10/2007 10:47 AM