Friday, August 10, 2007
Courage
All three leading democratic challengers for the Presidential nomination (Clinton, Obama, Edwards) will not support "gay marriage" in name, just in practice. They will all endorse civil unions, but we can't call the thing gay marriage because it might offend a key person in the independent demographic.
While many people say it doesn't matter what we call it as long as it's legalized, it does matter. It's not only about this issue. It's about the ability to take a stand that threatens their campaign possibly; in a word leadership.
If they are terrified of this issue, does anybody think they are going to hold firm when the health care lobby pours $500,000,000 into a campaign calling whatever plan they call with "socialism"? Will they have the power of their convictions when wealthy corporations twist a tax reform policy into "socialism", and a "tax hike", even if most people's taxes are being left untouched?
People who are afraid to take a courageous stand on one issue don't treat it as a walled off portion of their identity where only on this one issue are they willing to sell out core convictions and values.
Clinton and Reagan were both popular even though their platforms were different. They were confident in their own skins. Bush takes that to an extreme of unwarranted arrogance. There is a balance though. Willingness to lead goes along way with voters.
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