Dem Candiates to Debate Gay Issues on Live TV

[Alex]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Yes, I'd like some pandering, please.

And pandering, I have no doubt, is what you'll get.

I know there are gay issues, but so far as would involve being president it doesn't seem to me that there are enough questions that could be asked to make for a very long or interesting debate when by agreeing to be there the candidates are already saying "yes, I'll support your side on that."

Question 1: Do you think that traditional assumptions of what the word "marriage" means should be updated to include homosexual parternships?

Question 2: Do you think that homosexuality should be a protected class similar to race, gender, and religion?

Those two questions cover pretty much everything Steve mentioned.

The answers to the first will either be:

"Yes" or "No, but I think civil partnerships identical in every way but name should be implemented."

The answers to the second will all just be yes. So my expectation is that this debate will just be variations on Question 2 asked over and over again, interspersed with "Here is a random question that will allow you to offer up any witticisms about the Republicans that your staff writers may have prepped for you."

This isn't to say that I think those answers are wrong, just that I don't think such a debate will be interesting in any way beyond what is knowable from the fact that it is happening. To the degree that sex, religion, and gender are protected classes I think homosexuality should be equally protected (though there are ways in which those classes are protected that I disagree with; I oppose hate crime legislation for example but if it is going to exist then homosexuality is just as worthy as religion).