Dems Court Rainbow Vote

All of the Democrats who appeared at last night’s gay rights forum touted their support of sponsor Human Rights Campaign—but it was Hillary Clinton who aced the tightrope test, according to Time’s Mark Halperin. Hillary managed to oppose gay marriage without playing defense, all the while supplying “major doses of Clintonesque eye contact.”

Barack Obama scored an ‘A-’ by comparing current laws on gay rights to 1960s anti-miscegenation statutes—but the former law professor spoke “conversationally, rather than passionately” on human rights. Bill Richardson made out worst, earning a 'C' for suggesting that being gay is a choice, while John Edwards obfuscated in trying to explain his apparently fungible positions. (More Hillary Clinton stories.)