During last night's debate, Sen. Hillary Clinton was asked about whether she would read a book to 2nd Grade Children about same-sex couples.   In her reply she said something which caught my attention, and when I re-watched the debate I heard exactly what she was saying.

Clinton said: "I think that obviously it is better to try to work with your children, to help your children with the many differences that are in the world, and to really respect other people and the choices that other people make, and that goes far beyond sexual orientation."

Was Hillary Clinton implying that sexual orientation is a choice, and therefore is something that can be changed?  Perhaps she mispoke, but the comment was certainly not taken out of context, so what exactly did she mean when she said that we should "respect other people and the choices that other people make" in regard to sexual orientation? 

Many in the GLBT community have rallied around Sen. Clinton perhaps because she is a woman, but is that support fair or deserved?  While Clinton does have a fairly good record with the Human Rights Campaign on GLBT issues, she does have a checkered past in regard to many issues the GLBT community holds dear.  For instance, she and Bill Clinton supported the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA), and the very controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays and lesbians in the Military.   She has since modified her position saying that she doesn't agree with those policies. 

This isn't the first time that a Presidential Candidate has found themselves in hot water with the GLBT community.  In an earlier forum last month, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said that he believed that sexual orientation was a choice, and that he was "not a scientist" and did not know whether or not people had a choice with regard to sexual orientation.  His comments were not received well with the GLBT community, and Richardson later modified his comments saying he did not believe sexual orientation was a choice. 

Even John Edwards was under fire for his stance on GLBT issues when it was reported that he once said that he "wasn't comfortable around those people", referring to gays and lesbians.  He has had some uncomfortable moments, including having to rebuke his wife Elizabeth who does support Same-Sex Marriage, saying his religion guides him to a different conclusion about Same-Sex Marriage.

This goes to the larger issue of the just how important the GLBT community really is in the Democratic Primary.  There are no hard numbers on the number of GLBT people who vote in the Caucuses and Primaries, but it is safe to say that the vast majority of GLBT voters vote Democratic.   Republicans have lost many of the libertarian or fiscally conservative gay and lesbian voters because of the use of GLBT community as a political football. 

The GLBT community likely will not provide a clear margin of victory to Democrats in a general election, but they do have a vital role in the Primaries, and the 2008 Presidential election is no different.  Many are buisness owners, community leaders and maybe most importantly large fundraisers to campaigns, (Think Billionaire David Geffen's support of Sen. Obama) so the GLBT community can mobilize their base in support or opposition to candidates.   This will make the GLBT community all the more important in the 2008 Presidential race, and any missteps by the candidates on these issues will result in the loss of support and the loss of major fundraising.