Bush: Civil Unions OK

[freetobegay]

(Washington) President George W. Bush has softened his approach to same-sex unions as he makes his final bid to reach out to moderate voters in the final days of the campaign.

Tuesday morning Bush told ABC's Charles Gibson that he would support civil unions but remains opposed to gay marriage.

In an exclusive interview on Good Morning America Bush said that traditional marriage must be preserved. But, for the first time has added a qualifier.

"I view the definition of marriage difference from legal arrangements that enable people to have rights. And I strongly believe that marriage ought to be defined as between, a union between a man and a woman," Bush said. "Now, having said that, states ought to be able to have the right to pass … laws that enable people to you know, be able to have rights, like others."

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/10/102604bushMarr.htm

ON EDIT: IT'S TO FUCKING LATE YOU ASSHOLE, YOUR GOING DOWN!!!

[Not Me]

1. This ought to play well with his base.

In the same interview, he reached out to Democrats saying he would be honored to have their support.

He's toast, and he knows it.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. That's my thought -- he knows he's toast and is

desperately reaching out to gays and Democrats, thus alienating the many haters in his base.

And we thought Karl Rove was a genius. :eyes:

[RPM]

2. Alienating his base

Do they have a place to run - or will they just stay home? Moreover, will they constitute a greater number of changed/non votes than the moderates this might sway?

Interesting gambit.

[Q3JR4]

3. Oh no he didn't! [\sarcasm]

Seriously though, this wouldn't change what he wants to make us into. The bastard is just playing politics. I'm going to make sure everyone I know realizes this.

[TexasSissy]

4. This is not a change in his policy. * has said this before. He supports

civil unions, not marriage.

The only difference between Kerry and * on this issue is that * thinks the marriage thing needs to be protected at a national level, while Kerry thinks the states ought to decide for themselves individually, as they are doing.

[troublemaker]

7. true, but not politically true

(Kerry has been consitant on the war, but try telling people that! The political "truth" is that he hasn't)

99% of Americans will hear this as a flip-flop because Bush has tried to avoid being pinned down on the question hoping that each side withh assume he agrees with them.

If this gets national play (a big if) this is net damaging to Bush because it hurts his base more than it helps with tepid suburban women. (True gay rights supporters are voting Kerry either way)

[TexasSissy]

12. Hate to hurt your feelings, but I don't think the gay marriage/unions

issue is very important to most people....except those on the far right. And they will like Bush's position, which they will read as "protecting the sanctity of marriage." Middle America will approve of the civil unions language by *, though they won't really care much. Bush just avoids a problem position by having that position (which may be his REAL position...could be Cheney insisted on that, who knows?)

[freetobegay]

15. You don't hurt my feelings

your type all the time.

[Not Me]

17. Kerry surrounds himself with people who are left of him on this;

bush* surrounds himself with people who are to the right of him on this issue.

Judge them by the company they keep.

[freetobegay]

8. Would you like to clarify this

The Constitutional amendmendt also would have stopped civil unions & we all know Bush supported that!

[TexasSissy]

10. That's why it didn't pass, I think. Some language in it could have

been construed to prevent civil unions.

[Bucky]

9. No, the marriage amendment restricts same-sex partner rights

Bush is flip-flopping (pandering actually) when he says that he favors partnership rights. They're not talking about it, but the amendment would actually reverse some rights that DPs have

[sandnsea]

18. Before when?

When he was running in 2000. Like when he said he might support importing drugs from Canada. Liar. He'll say it now in hopes his base will think he's pandering to the middle, then do everything he can to keep gays from having rights.

[BattyDem]

5. Um ... didn't he just f*ck up big time?

The fundies HATE the idea of gay people getting any kind of rights: marriage, civil unions, domestic partnership ... it's all the same to them. It's too late for him to win over the pro-gay marriage/pro-civil union crowd, so why is he alienating his base?? :shrug:

[eataTREE]

6. Agreed: his precious fundy base won't like this one bit.

This was a mistake. Few if any pro-gay rights voters were gonna vote for Bush in the first place. On the other hand, his base is counting on him to be implacably anti-gay rights. Probably won't cost him too many votes, but maybe one or two will switch to the Theocracy Party or whoever the hell you vote for if * isn't right-wing enough for you. Every little bit helps.

[NVMojo]

11. which really means, he doesn't mean it!!! He will reneg!!!!

[Supersedeas]

13. So can Bush explain the difference bt his position and Kerry's?

A self-respecting Media type might even ask the President how a constitutional Amendment can both respect State rights to define these unions as marriage or otherwise and at the same time secure these rights for gay American while at the same time banning State defined "Marriage" of gay Americans.

Mr. President would you clarify your position on the Constitutional Amendment, please?

Will anyone ask him this question?

[Viking12]

14. Let's see...flip-flop

The proposed Constitutional Amendment reads:

"SECTION 1. Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any State, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."

Bush said of the failed bill that he was "deeply disappointed that the effort to pass a constitutional amendment affirming the sanctity of marriage as being between a man and woman was temporarily blocked." (The Boston Globe, July 15, 2004)

[madfloridian]

16. But But,....certain democrats say you can't get elected if you say that.

Remember what they said about Dean.....he forfeited his right to be president over his civil unions bill...can't be elected?

Ah, Mr. Bush, even our own Democrats know you can't win that way.

(All kinds of sarcasm here....sorry.)

[wellstone_democrat]

19. I'm sorry but this doesn't say anything he can't deny

with his "base"----he doesn't say "civil unions" but some vague shit about being "able to have rights, like others" That can be interpreted any way his devoted "base" wants it to be. And, frankly, its a typical WH "non denial, denial"

This is having it both ways in terms of campaigning and its carefully crafted. Democrats, etc. can interpret it as "civil unions" and Fundies can interpret it as not being about civil unions but about "rights" as Americans or something.

My proof, my colleague in the next office who is a die-hard religious-winger and Bushbot thought I was hilarious for thinking their boy supported civil unions---at worst he said "its election talk, he has to do it."

This isn't a stupid man and he got the "code"

[yellowcanine]

21. I guess the Rovian strategy of turning out the base is coming up short.

Oops.