Don't make the perfect the enemy of the good

kos explains Stephanie Herseth's vote for a (patently unconstitutional) bill that would strip the federal courts of jurisdiction over gay marriage issues:

Herseth is pro-choice in a fiercely anti-abortion state. You can only take so many contrarian stands before you become unviable. And being pro-choice and pro-gay marriage is a non starter in states like South Dakota. Or Oklahoma. Or Utah. You get the idea.

The reason to support Herseth or Democrats like her have nothing to do with supporting candidates who agree with you on all the issues. There is just one vote that matters -- that for Speaker Pelosi or a Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate.

We get that Democrat in charge of either house of Congress, and you won't see anti-gay marriage legislation coming up for a vote. Herseth is one more vote for Speaker Pelosi, and that's all that matters. How they vote after that is irrelevant.

Let's not forget, she is still pretty damn liberal for South Dakota which voted for Bush 60-38 in the 2000 election.