Reply #136: BS that this is so bad! Here's my take:

[Sugarcoated]

I dont buy the Republican meme that this is so bad for Feingold. Bush didn't win in 2008 on moral values, or some lock on Christians. If the gay marraige add-on had anything to do with winning votes, it was overblown - more spin.

Dems lost because Kerry didn't take a firm enough stand on anything. People, regular Joes needed a good reason to change horses in midstream and Kerry didn't win their confidence. He didn't take a stand.

Feingold won over Repubs in Wisconsin by being a straight shooter. Repubs in WI were very well aware of his stance on equal rights for gays. But they voted for him anyway and he won by a bigger margin in 2004 than he did in in the election before that.

And I contend, if someone will vote based on such a transperant and obvious wedge issue, after what they've seen of their own eyes the incompetence and dishonesty of the Bush administration and all the corruption in the Republican party, they wouldn't vote for a Democrat anyway - not to say Feingold will write off the South, but he doesn't need the south to win in the general. He needs to win the west - and he will play well there with his plain spoken style.

Kerry's waffling on many issues important to Democrats, gay marraige being one, hurt him within the base of the Dem party. You have to stoke the base - and all the better if it's from a Dem with courage, spine and honesty.

This ain't 2004. The mood of the country has changed, Bush has lost cred. Once that's gone, it's gone,
and all this posturing from the right that now he's unelectable because he's stated his views on gay marraige like it's some new thing, it's not gonna concern Feingold one iota, and it shouldn't concern any of us. Trust his political instincts - he's sharp as a tack and has truth on his side.

Edit to add: I liked Kerry, I worked hard for him. The image propelled by the media wasn't right or fair, about him being elite, etc. But we've got to do better, and there is better.