President Obama Fine With Gay Marriage as Long as It Doesn’t Try to Flirt With Him

[Better Believe It]

President Obama Fine With Gay Marriage as Long as It Doesn’t Try to Flirt With Him
by Erin Gloria Ryan
May 8, 2012

After Vice President Joe Biden said that he thinks gay marriage is just fine and dandy and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan agreed that he didn't have a problem with it, either, the President's been in a bit of a No Homo mode. I mean, he's sort of okay with the idea of gay marriage, as long as the gay marriage doesn't hit on him or anything.

The Washington Post reports that Biden and company's glittery pronouncements have caused some tension in the White House. In one corner: those who believe that the President has an obligation to the progressive public (and his gay donors) to support equal rights. But in the other corner: those who worry that Obama's expressed support of same-sex marriage could alienate the black community or people in swing states like North Carolina, which is considering adding an anti-same sex marriage amendment to its constitution in a vote that will occur today.

Critics point out that the President's stance has been "evolving" for the last two years, and that excuse doesn't fly anymore. He can't regress and pretend that he never even entertained the idea of legalizing same-sex marriage; that would be flip-flopping, and he can't come right out and endorses same-sex marriage, because in the eyes of some swing state voters, he may as well be officiating at gay weddings himself. But is Obama's reticence to lend public support even warranted? Did he even have a ghost of a chance of getting the votes of people who would be swayed by the marriage issue? At least half of Americans now support the legalization of same-sex marriage, including many small government Republicans. Even social conservatives have stopped pretending they can win the battle against modernity; last year, when New York passed gay marriage, Republican party leaders gave members the go ahead to vote however they wished. She's not the first beauty queen to wade into the issue of same-sex marriage, but Miss North Carolina has taken a stand against her state's same sex marriage ban. The Tarheel State's Governor has announced that supporting Amendment 1 will make her stomping grounds basically look like a bunch of backward open mouth-chewers.

When Miss North Carolina is more socially progressive than a Democratic president, it's maybe time for the President to reassess whether or not he's really talking like a Democrat. Gay marriage is a wildly popular cause to support because people like to support things that win, and at this point, it's not a matter of if it will be made legal, it's a matter of when. And it would be a shame for the President to find himself on the wrong side of history on this issue.

http://jezebel.com/5908555/president-obama-fine-with-gay-marriage-as-long-as-it-doesnt-try-to-flirt-with-him

[bupkus]

1. President Obama, take a stand

Don't Romney issues.

[xchrom]

2. ...

That was funny.

[KG]

3. don't flirt with my DURec

[brooklynite]

4. Which is more important...achieving results or talking about them?

President Obama and the Democrats have passed DADT repeal. They're ready to repeal DOMA if it can pass the House. Is it more important to have him speak out and risk losing votes to a Party that would turn back the clock as quickly as ir could?

Yes it would be politically courageos to speak out. But there's a reason that "courage" is involved.

[msongs]

5. gay marriage bad, murder women and kids using drones good. everyone has priorities nt

[wendylaroux]

6. I want him to

do whatever will help him win this election.

[groundloop]

7. Unfortunately you've hit the nail on the head.

The repubs, if they were to gain power, would turn the clock back on gay rights in the blink of an eye. As it stands, assuming President Obama gets reelected, I'd say there's a damned good chance that gay rights will keep advancing. The reality of it is that most things happen slowly in politics.

[Better Believe It]

9. "The reality of it is that most things happen slowly in politics." Except for going to war and ...

curbing our civil liberties, and helping Wall Street and big business, and cutting the taxes of the rich, and redistributing the wealth of the nation to the top 1%, and passing laws that benefit the insurance industry and big pharma, etc.,

[randome]

8. This is an article low on facts...

...and high on hearsay and rumor.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. Are you surprised considering who posted it? You shouldn't be....

[chowder66]

10. Here is another take on this....

I happen to think about this more along the lines of this article....

"Forty-one states have same-sex marriage bans on the books or in their state constitutions, and voters in those states would have to vote to overturn them, or successfully beat them down in court. Some advocates believe the best route is for the Supreme Court to weigh in — possibly by taking up the case of California’s Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage that was subsequently struck down by a federal court and an appellate court.

"In any case, the success or failure of any of the current marriage equality initiatives has very little to do with Obama publicly stating his personal views, marriage advocates and political observers agree."

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/obama-gay-marriage-support.php?ref=fpnewsfeed