In name only / in everything but name

I was listening to Democracy Now replay clips from the Official^TM VP debate. Palin and Biden both said they support gays having the right to be together, to have hospital visitation, etc., but both VP candidates and their Prez candidates say there should be no gay marriage.

In so many ways we hear politicians pay lipservice and they mean it in name only. McCain and Palin are "mavericks" in name only. Biden is pro-democracy in name only -- notice in the VP debate where he said he opposed a vote in Palestine because he feared that Hamas was likely to win. Democracy is only acceptable or necessary when it puts someone you like into power?

Think of some other ways they talk in name only. Discuss.

So it occurred to me that their position on gay marriage is that they should have equal rights in everything but name. For all practices, gays should be able to live together, do their thing, get benefits at work, have right to hospital visitation, but they don't want to call it "marriage."

That's all. Sorry, it's not a very profound observation. Just funny how many things politicians are willing to endorse in name only, backpedalling when it comes to substance, but in this case they endorse gay rights in substance only. I guess they are against gay marriage in name only.