Etheridge is the new Paula Abdul
“American Idol’s” Paula Abdul better watch her back, because lesbian rocker Melissa Etheridge appeared to be gunning for her job during the HRC/Logo presidential candidates forum Thursday night.
Six of the eight Democratic candidates turned out to answer questions from Etheridge, HRC President Joe Solmonese and Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart in a forum moderated by straight journalist Margaret Carlson and broadcast on Logo.
There didn’t appear to be a clear winner, as most candidates stuck to their scripts about supporting civil unions over marriage equality. There were, however, a few notable gaffes.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who boasts a strong record on gay rights issues and is arguably the most experienced of the lot, drew audible gasps from the small studio audience when he fumbled a question from Etheridge about whether homosexuality is a choice.
Initially, Richardson responded, “It’s a choice.” Etheridge interrupted him, assuming he hadn’t understood her question, but he continued, “I’m not a scientist. … I don’t like to answer definitions like that.”
The confusing reply seemed to indicate that Richardson believes homosexuality is a choice, one of the most enduring and potent slurs used against gays. It was a surprising gaffe for Richardson, who rattled off a series of ways in which he has backed gay rights during his career. But the sting of his response to that question lingers and will surely damage his credibility among gay voters, as it should.
Former Sen. John Edwards seemed to think he was running for king rather than president, when responding to a question about the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Edwards said the president could merely do away with the policy, failing to realize that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was passed by Congress, signed by President Clinton and would require congressional action to repeal. Later, Sen. Hillary Clinton, in a clear swipe at Edwards, clarified that Congress would have to get involved in order to repeal the discriminatory policy.
But Clinton wasn’t immune to problems on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” issue. She repeated her assertion that the policy was merely “transitional” and it was time to do away with it. The problem is, the policy was never sold that way and no one ever believed in 1993 that it would be a temporary thing en route to something more “progressive” (her new favorite word). Clinton supported the policy then and opposes it now. It’s legitimate to change your opinion over time, but it’s not OK to engage in revisionist history while doing it.
Unfortunately, the event suffered from an air of unprofessionalism, prompting legitimate questions of just how seriously gay people take their presidential politics. The presence of Etheridge proved distracting and embarrassing. She openly fawned over candidates, most notably Rep. Dennis Kucinich. She urged him to “keep running until you’re elected.” Later, she asked Richardson about the beetles in Santa Fe. When Clinton took the stage last, Etheridge toughened up, telling her that Bill Clinton threw us under the bus and broke our hearts after seeking gay support in the campaign. I wonder if her environmentalist friend Al Gore fed her a few choice, tough lines for the former first lady.
But overall, Etheridge appeared to be auditioning for the Paula Abdul role on “American Idol,” warmly welcoming the candidates and openly praising them. Her behavior was wildly inappropriate for the occasion and organizers should have left the questioning to journalists. The Oprah-like set, which featured a couch and comfy chairs rather than podiums, lent a feeling of intimacy to the forum, which was a welcome touch. The problem was the set came across on TV as cheap and the crowd shockingly sparse. Next time, keep the celebrities in L.A. and the political forums in Washington.
Solmonese was tough on the candidates, asking pointed questions about marriage, including one to Edwards that nearly had him endorsing full equality. Edwards admitted it was a mistake to use his faith to justify opposition to same-sex marriage and went on to say that civil unions stop short of full equality. But he concluded with the contradictory and inevitable, “I do not support same-sex marriage.” He’s still on his “journey.” And Edwards couldn’t resist a few jabs at Ann Coulter, who has proven a cash cow for his campaign. The remarks were irrelevant and a transparent effort at tossing red meat to the crowd, which dutifully applauded.
Those are some top-of-mind observations. Check the Blade site throughout the week for updated reaction and analysis of all that transpired tonight.
–
Posted by 4health on 08-15-2007 at 12:08 am
Posted in viewpoint
No Comments »
No comments yet.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.