What Palin Actually Said...or, Didn't Say

Since the VP debate, I've seen more than one piece of commentary that actually seems to buy into the bizarre notion that Palin and the McCain campaign support equal rights for same sex couples.

This is categorically not what Palin said in the debate.

Let me repeat that like a debate participant.

This is categorically NOT what Palin said in the debate.

The part that seems to be confusing people is the end of the discussion on the topic, which wasn't actually Palin agreeing with Biden/Obama's overall stance, but was Palin attempting what I thought was a very naked and disingenuous dodge of the issue. Boiled to its essence, here was the exchange leading up to her final statement:

Biden: If I'm hearing Palin right, she is saying that the McCain administration also supports full civil equality for same sex couples, with no civil difference between heterosexual couples and same sex couples.

Moderator (to Palin): Is that what you said?

Palin: I don't support gay marriage. He doesn't, and I don't, so on that point we agree.

At the time, I saw this as a blatant dodge of the question of whether she supports civil equality for same-sex couples. She didn't want to say no, but she also could not truthfully say yes, so she avoided the question and brought it back to gay marriage, which is not the same question. The moderator made the tongue-in-cheek statement "Great, so you agree," which I saw as a wry comment pointing to the fact that Palin didn't actually answer the question.

There were only two moments that Palin actually spoke to civil rights for same sex couples. At the beginning of her answer when she said she would not support equal civil rights to the extent that it would blur the line of marriage, and again when she gave the example that no one in a McCain/Palin administration would argue that someone should not be able to see their partner in the hospital. To the hospital example, I'd like to point out THAT IS THE STATUS QUO. If you are not pushing for equal civil rights for same sex couples, then you are saying that you are OK with this situation.

At no point in her "answers" did Palin state that she and McCain support equal civil rights for same-sex couples. Never. Not once. However, people seem to be pointing to that last exchange and to the moderator's wry comment, and actually thinking it was a literal summation of what was said.

What I thought was going to happen is that, even though she obviously was not saying the campaign supported equal rights, the McCain campaign would furiously issue retractions clarifying that they did not agree with the Obama campaign, not wanting to alienate the conservative base. I see now that I was pretty naive, both in thinking that it would be clear to many that she didn't actually agree, and in thinking that the McCain campaign would clear up any confusion. How silly of me...no, this confusion can work to their benefit. I now can see the following strategy being very likely (although at this early juncture I don't know if they are going to do this): Quietly reassure supporters in private that their "values" are safe, but in the broad, general media, just leave the subject alone and let those less concerned continue with the wrong impression. There is so much else going on, the mainstream media is not likely to push the issue and press for clarification or a firmer statement.

Now, do I think this issue is going to decide the election? No. Do I think anyone is going to change their minds based on whether this confusion is cleared up one way or another? No. But it's the principle of the thing. So here is my small part in the effort to make sure this confusion is not allowed to continue.