Sullivan... uh...responds

I should be plain. I have never trusted Kerry on gay civil rights, still
don't... I am aware of his slippery, unprincipled and vacuous stand on
civil rights for gay couples. (This, of course, is indistinguishable from his
slippery, unprincipled and vacuous stand on almost every other issue as well). I
trust Kerry about as much as I trusted Bill Clinton. The similarity is not just
that both Bush and Kerry oppose equal marriage rights for gay couples but that
neither have ever given a single argument in defense of their position. In
general I have been struck both by how ignorant Kerry has been about some basic facts - like the content of the Missouri amendment, for example - and how eager
to pander to both sides. Surprise.

The difference, however, is obvious. Kerry supports civil unions that contain all the rights and responsibilities of civil marriages; Bush doesn't. In fact, Bush has endorsed a federal amendment that would bar both gay marriage and any civil arrangements that, like civil unions or even domestic partnerships, would give gay couples even basic protections. So the difference is stark. And, of course, the constitutional amendment is a HUGE deal.

Okay Andrew, allow me be blunt.

You're supporting a man whose positions (your words, not mine) are "...slippery, unprincipled and vacuous...". You're dumping Bush because he made a political move to solidify his wacky fundamentalist base during a hugely important election?

And, how did he do this...? By supporting a goofy Constitutional Amendment that has a snowball's chance in hell of passing. On this you're going to support Kerry? In a time of War...?

Grow the hell up Mr. Sullivan and get some friggin' perspective, for God's sake. Yes, voting in a Presidential election is a Hobson's choice. It always is.

But... using your position to strongarm cultural change in times like these because it suits your lifestyle and lifespan strikes me as selfish, vain and not as quite as brainy as your writing would indicate you are.