Reply #30: First of all, I would never vote for an "anti-gay" candidate.

[UdoKier]

I can deal with someone who favors the status quo in exchange for progress elsewhere, but not someone who favors backsliding (bringing back sodomy laws, etc.).

As for the choice question, yes, I would vote for a pro-life liberal, (like Dennis Kucinich was pre-2004) if it would mean universal health coverage and the risk to Roe V. Wade was remote enough. Choice is not a big priority to me. Contraception is much more important than last-ditch measures like abortion, IMO. ALL of the religion-based issues fomented by the right are phony and wedges. They(the GOP politicians, not GOP voters) don't REALLY care about ANY of them. That's why they pass little laws like the "partial-birth" law, to give some meat to their loony followers so they will continue to turn out, but they still keep it legal so they can continue to get their girlfriends their hush-hush abortions.

I've never been happy with our side's reliance on Roe v. Wade to keep abortion legal. I think a constitutional amendment defining for once and for all at what point a fetus becomes a person, and abortion's legality would settle it and end all the stupid legal wrangling. Unfortunately, both parties have reached a bargain that they will both use the "issue" to keep their respective bases in a perpetual state of anxiety over it.

Fact is, the vast majority of women will never have an abortion, and many of those performed could have been prevented with responsible use of contraceptives. On the other hand, contraceptives can fail, and nobody is perfect, so there is a need for it, so I favor it being legal. My world just doesn't revolve around it. I'm more concerned that sick people get help and that nobody goes hungry or homeless.

BTW, your post has a needlessly confrontational tone when we are on the same page in essence. You can berate me for not supporting gay marriage or choice enough until you're blue in the face, but I've already come to my conclusions on the matter. I'll vote for the guy with the better position on healthcare and taxes and jobs. Choice and gay marriage are secondary. If the candidate is a staunch supporter of gay marriage and choice, all the better. But it's still secondary to me. If you don't want my less-than-pure votes, just let me know.