🚀 go-pugleaf

In ne.general Charles M. Kozierok <ixlu@pcguide.com> wrote:
> In article <oenT5.18763$%j3.160059@news6.giganews.com>,
> Xiphias Gladius  <ian@io.com> wrote:
> } Dick Cheney is in fact a viable VP.  In any case, the assumption in some
> } conspiracy-theory quarters is that Cheney has always intended to step
> } aside for someone else as VP.

> Based on his temprament, demeanor, honesty (IMO) and experience, he's
> more than viable as far as I am concerned: he's the most desirable of 
> all four candidates for higher office, by far.

I have serious problems with some of the policies that he has standed for
in the past.  The complete lack of acknowlegement that his daughter is
gay seems strange to me.  Then again, his responses in the VP Debate to
the questions on gay rights really impressed me.

In general, I don't see any reason that gays should be treated any
differently in the law than straights: I am either for gay marriage, or
(my real preference), getting rid of the legal recognition of marriage in
the first place, replacing it with a concept of "households".  I feel that
the definition of marriage should be left to social and religious
organizations -- and if one religion defines it differently than another
religion, the government shouldn't have to get involved and take sides.

I was surprised by how open and thoughtful his answers in the VP debate
were; I just don't know if his rhetoric in that case would match his
actions in general, and whether they're consistent with his demonstrated
behavior.

As far as honesty, there are only a couple of actions I'm aware of of his
that I consider somewhat dodgy: first, not stepping down as the head of
the VP-picking committe when he became a front-runner for VP, and second,
moving his residency from Texas in order to arguably make the ticket
constitutionally able to get Texas's electoral vote.  Even if that *is*
found to be constitutional, I still see it as rather dismissive of the
*intent* of the Constitution, and a disturbing sign for a potential
administration which ran partially on a platform or respect for the
Constitution.

	- Ian
-- 
Marriage, n: The state or condition of a community consisting of a master,
a mistress, and two slaves, making, in all, two. -- Ambrose Bierce 
SSBB Diplomatic Corps; Boston, Massachusetts