Sep 05, 2008  |  By: KEVIN NAFF  | COMMENTS     

NOW THAT THE two parties have finally selected their candidates and wrapped their conventions, we can at last get down to the business of the relatively short general election campaign. Too bad the primary season can’t be run as quickly and efficiently.

The conventional wisdom about quadrennial party conventions is that they are scripted and choreographed and fail to break any real news. Perhaps. But given Americans’ ever shrinking attention span, there is a lot of value in staging conventions to showcase the party platforms — and the speaking skills of those who would lead the nation.

Over the past couple of weeks, Barack Obama and John McCain made their first big decision since being anointed to lead their respective parties: the choice of running mate. Obama went with experience, selecting Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his No. 2. No one will confuse Biden for a gay rights activist — he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act and has failed to co-sponsor various pro-gay bills over the years, including the Uniting American Families Act. His record on the HRC congressional scorecard is underwhelming; Biden went from a perfect 100 score in the 2001-2002 Congress to a 78 in the last Congress. (To be fair, he lost points for failing to sponsor UAFA, but Delaware activists told the Blade last week they’re confident he would vote for the bill if it made it to the Senate floor.)

Obama’s own mention of gay issues during his historic and captivating acceptance speech was disappointing. He said gays deserve the right to visit their partners in the hospital. Gee, thanks, Barack. But gay Democrats are by now accustomed to breadcrumbs. Am I the only one who thinks it appalling that politicians continue to ask us for money and votes while relegating the important subject of our right to equality under the law to a footnote in a speech? They dole out basic rights — like hospital visitation — piecemeal each year in the hopes of keeping us on the hook.

DESPITE THE DISAPPOINTMENTS and shortcomings on the Democratic ticket, Biden’s record is generally supportive when it comes to important gay issues and he backs a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act and extending full rights to same-sex couples joined in civil unions.

Certainly, on the question of experience and readiness to assume the top spot, there’s no question that Biden is a solid choice. His background in foreign affairs is of particular importance given the range of foreign policy challenges that await the next president.

And on the campaign trail, Biden should be an asset, his down-to-earth accessibility the perfect antidote to the GOP’s elitist “arugula” attacks against Obama. As a fellow train commuter, I’ve run into Biden a few times on the Amtrak out of Union Station and can attest to his approachability. He’s smart, likable and easy to talk to.

By contrast, McCain’s selection of Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate lowers the bar to frightening new levels on the question of experience. Sure, she’s a governor — but of a state with a population about the size of Baltimore. Her last job? Mayor of a town with just 9,000 residents. My college football stadium held 10 times that many people.

McCain is a 72-year-old cancer survivor, making the issue of his running mate’s competence and readiness for the presidency a major concern for voters. As for gay voters, Palin’s thin record leaves little to analyze. According to the Log Cabin Republicans, Palin’s record is not anti-gay. In 2006, the Anchorage Daily News quoted Palin as saying she’s “not out to judge anyone and has good friends who are gay.”

Well, we’ve heard that before. Remember George W. Bush’s Austin 12? They assured us that Bush knew and liked gay people and that he was committed to “compassionate conservatism.”

LOG CABIN COMMENDED Palin as someone who “isn’t a bigot.” Talk about lowering the bar on expectations. If that’s the best they can say about her, we’re in real trouble. The organization’s decision this week to endorse the McCain/Palin ticket was clearly not an easy one. Officials waited until the very last minute to make an announcement, suggesting board members were not enthusiastic in their support. It’s a disappointing decision, considering McCain’s position in favor of state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage and Palin’s non-existent resume. (Incredibly, GOP pundits have resorted to trumpeting her work as commander of the Alaska National Guard as a qualification for serving as commander in chief. Jon Stewart couldn’t ...