When John McCain recently said that he opposes adoption by gays and lesbians, he was expressing a personal view or a view designed to appeal to some social conservatives rather than a policy position. His team is now saying that Senator McCain believes the matter should be left up to the states. That's basically a status quo policy position since adoption and family law are largely state considerations.
...his campaign lurched back to the center Tuesday with a clarifying statement saying “he recognizes that there are many abandoned children who have yet to find homes” and “believes that in those situations that caring parental figures are better for the child than the alternative."
I don't know whether such a clarified position will be enough for McCain to get the nod from groups like the Log Cabin Republicans. But I believe it will help him capture at least the 25% of the GLBT vote that President Bush received. In many states that have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage, adoption is the big battleground. And it energizes the GLBT community far more than relationship recognition issues. In Tennessee, we saw that very clearly in 2005 and 2008 when some lawmakers attempted to pass versions of adoption bans. Both efforts generated thousands of contacts with legislators and a concerted response that helped defeat the bills. Attacking the ability and rights of gays and lesbians to be parents strikes a deep chord in red states.
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