Beatlefan58

Context was everything in why the remark was inappropriate.

The question was about nature vs. nurture--what causes homosexuality. Bush said he didn't know.

Kerry's answer made me think that he had planned to mention Mary Cheney during the whole debate and was looking for the right time. Since it hadn't arisen yet, this might be his last time. The reason it appeared that way to me was his "if you ask Mary Cheney . . . " Instead of saying "if you ask . . . " he could have easily said "I've talked to Barney Frank and Elton John and Melissa Etheridge (insert names here) and . . . " I had no doubt that Kerry wanted to bring her up by name for a political reason, and that's why it was out of bounds.

If perhaps during a discussion of health care benefits, Bush had opined that treatment for the obese was something that the goverment shouldn't be paying for, what would have been the reaction if he said "If you ask Elizabeth Edwards, she'd tell you that pushing yourself away from the table is the first step". (Edwards has discussed her battle to keep the weight off.) There would be howls of protest for him putting words and thoughts into Mrs. Edwards' mouth (assuming she hadn't said the same thing). It was the "she'd say . . . " part that made the whole thing so blatantly political, and using someone's child in such a context just rubs many the wrong way.