# The Raving Atheist says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:39 pm – Edit

I don’t know why McCain is being singled out here. The clips I provided above (comment #5) of Hillary Clinton on Ellen and Obama speaking on the topic show that their positions are indistinguishable from McCain’s.

Actually, from watching those clips, it sounded to me that both Clinton and Obama were saying it’s not their job, it’s the state’s job. I think Obama did a better job of articulating that sentiment and came off as less evasive. Yes, they both were tip-toeing. They’re politicians, it’s what they do, but from watching the three clips back to back, I definitely get the feeling that although John McCain might say, “Sure, let’s do civil unions,” he does not care for the rights of the GLBT community. Clinton and Obama seem to understand and care about the issue, though they are trying to cover their own behinds in the process.

Sadly, John McCain is the lesser of all evils in this election. He’s the most moderate of the current contenders, and the last thing this country needs is more elected officials to the right OR left of center.

Will you still think that when President McCain starts bombing Iran? Or when his health care privatization scheme puts more people into the desperate straits of the uninsured?

Neither Obama nor Clinton is a raving lefty – I should know, being one myself – and they are nearly stepping on each other to occupy the absolute Center of American politics (wherever that is) without alienating workers, people of color, women, and queers (and please note, it is quite possible to belong to all four so-called “special interest” groups.) Sadly, they’ve both done a poor job, as it seems racist and sexist coding by both campaigns have created sharp divisions among voters who should be happily embracing either candidate.

I don’t know why McCain is being singled out here. The clips I provided above (comment #5) of Hillary Clinton on Ellen and Obama speaking on the topic show that their positions are indistinguishable from McCain’s.

I think it is great that Ellen put McCain on the spot and spoke up for the dignity and validity of her marriage. But Raving Atheist makes a good point: both Obama and Clinton deserve the same treatment. Their positions are half-assed compromises of queer rights in the face of homophobic bigotry. It may be politically convenient, for fear of rousing the Fundie Gay-Bashing Beast conventional wisdom credits for John Kerry’s defeat in 2004; but it is no less worthy of being challenged.

I think Ellen didn’t challenge Obama and Clinton when they appeared on her show is because of simple timing. Had they appeared after the California supreme court’s ruling, she may have had it more in the forefront of her mind and thus more ready to question them more aggressively. By the same token, had McCain appeared much earlier in the primary season, he could have avoided this embarrassment. But I’m glad his sense of timing is so off.