Guide Note

Presidential candidate Senator John McCain appeared on the May 22 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The politician and the soon to be wed, openly gay talk show hostess debated the topic of gay marriage.

Fast Facts

1. Show air date: Thursday May 22, 2008
2. Show taped: Wednesday May 21, 2008
3. Audience mostly silent while McCain spoke

During the show, she brought up the topic of the newly legalized same-sex marriage in California. Ellen began by saying "Let's talk about the big elephant in the room.".

• "I think that people should be able to enter into legal agreements and it's something that we should encourage, particularly in the case of insurance and other areas and decisions that have to be made. I just believe in the unique status of marriage between a man and a woman and I know that we have a respectful disagreement on that issue."

• "I think that it is looked at and some people are saying the same that blacks and women did not have the right to vote. Women just got the right to vote in 1920. Blacks didn’t have the right to vote until 1870 and it just feels like there's this old way of thinking that we are not all the same. We are all the same people. All of us. You are no different than I am. Our love is the same. To me, what it feels like, I will just speak for myself, it feels like when someone says, 'You can still have a contract and you'll still have insurance and you'll get all that' -- it sounds like you can sit there, but you can't sit there. That's what is sounds like to me."

At the end of the discussion, McCain said that he has heard her "articulate that position in a very eloquent fashion. We just have a disagreement. And I, along with many, many others, wish you every happiness.". DeGeneres then said "So you'll walk me down the aisle? Is that what you're saying?" to which McCain replied "Touche".