Bad as Kerry’s position on gay marriage was (while against a federal constitutional amendment, true, he personally is against gay marriage and supported a Massachusetts state constitutional amendment that would ban it in that state), it actually could have been worse, Slate reports, had he taken Bill Clinton’s advice:

First, for any of us tempted to be nostalgic for the Clinton years–and there’s probably a lot of that going on this week as Republicans further tighten their grip on government, here’s something to temper our longing for the 90s. “Looking for a way to pick up swing voters in the Red States, former President Bill Clinton, in a phone call with Kerry, urged the Senator to back local bans on gay marriage. Kerry respectfully listened, then told his aides, ‘I’m not going to ever do that.'” Being more Clintonesque on gay marriage may have won Kerry some swing votes, but that comes with a price, and one Kerry wasn’t willing to pay.

Yeah, Bill, you’ve really got the high ground when it comes to talking about marriage. You fucking hypocrite.