Democratic Presidential Candidates Meet The Gays

I caught a few moments of videotape on O'Reilly last week of the Democratic Presidential candidates' 'debate' with gays.

Of course, the real center of attention is one-time popular singer Melissa Etheridge. I believe she's the woman who was the partner, for a short time, of actress Anne Hecht, the latter whom, after conceiving the 'couple's' child, eventually decided she wasn't gay after all.

I suppose it's of some value for gay people to have Presidential candidates dote on them, and their issues, as if they are life-or-death, and material to the Republic at large. And having someone like Etheridge, who can garner publicity, can't hurt, either.

However, one comment I heard from a guest on O'Reilly's program, a gay woman, actually struck a very responsive chord with me. She intoned that, frankly, she didn't really want all that much governmental involvement in being gay, because what she wanted was to just be allowed to live as she chose.

My God! You could confuse that woman for a libertarian!

And this is sort of what mystifies me about liberal Democrats and their ceaseless, shameless pandering.

First, don't they think other Americans realize that they are watching the Presidency being shopped and sold, one victimized group's votes after another?

Second, these groups may want to be careful about for what they wish. Too much 'attention' from Washington might result in what they appear to request, but not what they actually want.

Third, just because modern communications media allows one to endlessly segment groups, identify their members, and reach them, does that necessarily mean it's a good idea to campaign and debate for them, exclusively? Isn't that reinforcing the balkanization of American society which seems to retard or prevent simpler, more even-handed solutions to various social issues?

I think I'd be okay without seeing various special-interest group-oriented campaign 'debates' among Presidential candidates of either party. Instead, I'd appreciate more insightful, meaningful questions from real people, and the removal of so many biased and posturing media personalities as the moderators of these frequent travesties.