A Respectful Disagreement

I don't watch television - except for Battlestar Galactica - so I tend to miss out on TV's rare, worthwhile moments. This, via Feministe, is one of them.

Ellen DeGeneres queries her guest, Senator John McCain, on "the big elephant in the room" - gay marriage. McCain's answer is direct, honest, courteous, and just as awkward as you would expect. Ellen's response is equally candid, personalizing the issue for McCain, and she manages to be angry and classy at the same time.

I think this is a good showing by both sides. As my regular readers know, I support McCain for president, and I disagree with him on this particular issue. What I like about this exchange is that (1) Ellen had McCain on her show in the first place, and gave him a chance to explain his position in his own words; (2) McCain didn't try to double-talk or BS his way out of a hard question, even though his answer would put him at odds with the host and presumably most of the audience; (3) Ellen rebutted McCain's position in a clear, to-the-point fashion, rather than attacking him personally; (4) McCain stood by his position but acknowledged that DeGeneres had articulated her position "in a very eloquent fashion"; and (5) the host responded with grace and humor before going to a commercial break.

I especially appreciate McCain's awkwardness here, because it tells me that he knows there is no "right answer" he can give, and he's not going to try.

Go watch the clip. I wish the gay marriage debate sounded like this more often.