Hugh Hewitt is wondering how much damage the lesbian remark will do/has done to John Kerry's presidential aspirations. I've read a decent number of blogs, and Hewitt is maybe the most upset over the comment of any blogger I have read.

To be completely honest, I doubt this will have much effect on Kerry's run for the presidency. I believe this because of two reasons:

1. Kerry was already in a hole. The first debate helped him regain some status in the polls, sure, but that's only because of the president's poor performance. Once Bush came to play, Kerry proved to be no match. Let's face it: Kerry is a terrible candidate. He is doing just well enough to stay in the race, and he has the added bonus of running against a candidate loathed by the mass media and a good chunk of the population. A good percentage of the population will still vote for him because he isn't Bush, but I think his mistakes have soured a lot of voters.

2. I think the "global test" is going to do more damage to his campaign than anything. I am not sure that the average voter will interpret the Mary Cheney remark as a cheap political attack. I think they will, however, pick up on the fact that Kerry and Bush have the same position on gay marriage. This "global test" is a different beast altogether. I think that the average voter will be sickened by the very idea that Kerry would rather have the UN or other countries half a world away (who, by the way, generally aren't targeted as severely as America is) decide our fates for us. Given their abysmal track record, the fact that it's the UN he wishes the approval of is upsetting enough; if only more people understood how spineless and hypocritical that group is, maybe they would think twice about suggesting they decide our fate in the war on terror.

I am more upset about what Ms. Cahill and Ms. Edwards said, but only because I would (foolishly) expect more out of them. Maybe they were just trying to save their candidate's tail, but that is no excuse for their actions. Sadly, I am unsurprised that Kerry would pull such a trick. (I guess people have forgotten his actions the week of the republican convention.) He seems to lack any sense of decorum or tact. It may be a harsh thing to say, but I have my doubts that there is any level of attack that is below him.

Regardless of what people think about Kerry's comment, I doubt there is a lot of disagreement that Kerry is in some trouble.