Jon Stewart, Mike Huckabee Clash Over Gay Marriage

Jon Stewart has had Frost/Nixon on his mind a lot lately, so it's not at all surprising to see the Daily Show host channeling those old interviews in his sit-down with Mike Huckabee. The two men devoted an entire segment of a two-part interview to a debate over gay marriage. Commendations all around, to both parties, for having a civil and even-tempered talk about the issue, though I'll personally confess: I have no idea what needs to be done to my brain to make it understand Mike Huckabee's "reasoning" on a structural level. When I hear that gay marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage in general, I have my own marriage as evidence that this is not the case. And anyway, it's a lot like saying that my preference for chocolate ice cream over vanilla threatens the sanctity of dessert. Must we have these conversations over harms that are entirely imaginary?

It seems we must. Huckabee's key point is that people should have "the right to live any way they want to" but that marriage is about men and women, basically making babies. "Anatomically, let's face it," Huckabee says, "the only way we can create the next generation is with male-female relationships." I must have missed the news about the steep population decline we're undergoing! Stewart covers the whole history of how marriage has been redefined, including how only recently, interracial marriage (you know...the sort that produced the next POTUS?) was illegal. This doesn't move Huckabee in the least: "There's a key difference between a person being black and a person practicing a lifestyle."

Stewart does a good job penetrating that argument, mostly for the audience's benefit. He also seemed to score a hit on Huckabee when he said, "It's a travesty that people have forced someone who is gay to have to make their case, that they deserve the same basic rights." That suddenly sent Huckabee off into a new realm of argument, where he insisted that just because he doesn't "support the idea of changing the definition of marriage doesn't mean I'm a homophobe." Is that where the barricade to denying people this basic right has been built?

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Comments

[lilyflower8604]

poor Britney and Kevin, lol, they're trying. if it's all semantics, why don't we just call it civil unions and legalize it with the same rights as people who get "married", what's the difference? that way you have protected "marriage" - in a church or wherever between a man and a woman with all the benefits but at the same time legalized gay and lesbian "unions" - in a church or whatever between whomever and with all the benefits.

[StevenKeirstead]

I'm legally married in Massachusetts to another guy. If my husband and I visit our friends Lars and Lisa in Vermont, which has same sex civil unions that supposedly give all the rights of marriage, our marriage has no legal weight in that state. Vermont does not consider us to have a civil union, so we are not legally related in that state!

If Lars and Lisa visit us here in Boston, they are considered married here just like they are in the Green Mountain State.So much for separate but equal, which is neither under the current state of law.

Also, most people who abhor the concept of gay marriage also abhor the concept of same sex civil unions. So while civil unions seem like an agreeable compromise in theory, in practice they won't work.

[RationalityPlease]

Yeah, right, throw us the bone of "civil unions". Sounds like a great idea to some people. But then so did separate water fountains, bathrooms, schools, the back of the bus, etc., etc... In case you are too young to remember or don't know your history, "separate but equal" didn't make anything "equal"...

[Jetling]

And who defined marriage? Brigham Young?

[BlackWidowPilot]

For those who would assert that their opposition to the rights of gays to marry is firmly grounded in The Bible:

http://www.guerrillascholar.com/cogito/?m=200807

"Judge not, lest ye be judged, for as ye judge, so shall ye be judged!"

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[DebitLeft]

Believe me, I would never vote for or support Huckabee. But, at least I think he tells the truth as he sees it. That sets him far above the others in his party. I disagree with him on almost every point (because he is wrong). But I do respect him.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Then with all due respect, citizen, you are respecting a hypocrite.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[Thad]

Between this and last year's interview with Bill Bennett, Stewart has emerged as one of the most eloquent voices for gay rights in the mainstream media.

He hit all the right notes -- "changing the definition of marriage", pfaugh; my aunt and uncle are an interracial couple and would not have been allowed to marry half a century ago. Not that facts, logic, and historical perspective mean much to bigots, but I'm glad Jon is here to remind us that, as Dr. King said, "The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice."

[RationalityPlease]

I agree. But Stewart did fall for Huckabee's oxymoronic line about not being a homophobe. Anyone who's denying us fully citizenship is most definitely being homophobic. Especially when one of their arguments is fear that giving us full civil rights will somehow endanger their marriages!

[mamiel]

Huckabee didn't make one argument that made any sense, IMO.

I am glad that Stewart refuses to give Christian politicians a pass on this issue. We need to bring it up again, again, again and again, until GLBT people finally have the civil rights they deserve. It's time for straight people like Stewart and the rest of us to step up and not let the issue die.

[jugganaut]

Sorry Mike, but the US Supreme Court says that the right to marry IS a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT, not just a privilege.

And last time I checked, their opinion on the issue trumps yours.

[rmonroe]

Exactly, and we don't need permission from people like him to get married. It is so funny he mentions that he is not a homophobe, because, he is homophobic and he damn well knows it. Gays getting married would not affect Mike Huckabee in any way shape or form and the only reason he is against it is because he is afraid if they start getting rights, start being treated equal, it might create more of them, and he might, well you know, catch it.

[Craniumdude]

not if the republican'ts could have their way!

[DebitLeft]

I know that many people realize the importance that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have had in the past 3 years, but the truth is - they have, almost exclusively, given a voice to the progressive movement. The next generation - for which I am so optimistic - has come together to think about issues and express their opinion because of these two comedians. The United States owes them a debt of gratitude.

[Jetling]

They've been doing it for longer than that. Don't forget Air America.

NPR used to be that way before GWB forced them to find advertisers to subsidize them. Hopefully, Obama will see the wisdom of moving federal funding back to the pre-GWB levels.

I gots to have my WW...DTM!

[kennyfasugbe]

I am paraphrasing here: Religion is more of a lifestyle than being gay! I love that line from Jon. He is damn smart, and Huckabee had nothing to lay against that.

[Danind]

Except nobody forces children to be raised as gay people like they do with religion.

I also liked that Huckabee countered with "they don't let us burn people at the stake" as if that is something religious people naturally have the propensity to do. If it weren't almost true, it wouldn't be so funny!

[Robert2664]

Can anyone out there in cyberspace tell me how my marrying a man is a threat to your marraige?
If you really want to save marraiges ban divorices and seperation­s.It should be till death do part.
Also if you think that marraige is for having children then those who are married but dont or cant have kids their marrages should not be legal!

[BonoVox]

Once again, a comedian leads the way. Thank god for the court jesters.

[SuperSam]

i havent seen grilling like this in a long time. He puts the rest of our fake me out propagandized bullshit media to shame.

[Fred68]

I think Jon Stewart is one of the best interviewers in the media today. Great job!

[johannesrolf]

the bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, GREEK and english. french came later. the thing with pigs is that they are not nomadic, as the people of the bible were. so no to pork. same with muslims.

[JohnJames]

The sociology of survival in a desert environment is key to all three Semitic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Toaism. on the other hand, that arose in an environment of abundance and fertility are profoundly more generous in spirit.

[BlackWidowPilot]

All religious traditions must be studied in the context of their origins.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[lefty247]

Hucklebee is as gay as it gets whos he trying to kid anyway.

look at his wife..plus he eats squirrels.­.double barf time.