Free At Last.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)

Election: What do Bill Clinton and Mary Cheney have in common? Both have been exploited by the Kerry campaign to prevent a political sea change -- George Bush being re-elected by the African-American vote.

When both John Edwards and John Kerry managed to slip in references to Mary Cheney's sexuality in the debates, most pundits assumed it was an attempt to drive a wedge between President Bush and his evangelical Christian base.

A few saw it for what it really was -- an attempt to stem an exodus of socially conservative black voters away from Kerry and toward Bush on the issue of gay marriage.

According to a poll by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 18% of blacks would like to see Bush win the presidency vs. 9% in a similar poll four years ago. Campaign guru Dick Morris says such a 9-point swing could mean a 2-point swing nationally.

This is why Kerry has spent so much time in black churches in states like Florida and Ohio. And why he mentioned Mary Cheney. And why he brought in Bill Clinton, the first "black" president.

Many blacks, particularly black ministers, disapprove of gay marriage on its merits. They also deeply resent the comparison by gay rights activists of their activities with the civil rights movement and their long, hard struggle to end racial discrimination.

But it's not the only issue driving blacks toward Bush. ...