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Freddie Stubbs

(29,853 posts)
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 09:39 AM Feb 2015

Axelrod: Obama Misled Nation When He Opposed Gay Marriage In 2008

Source: Time

Barack Obama misled Americans for his own political benefit when he claimed in the 2008 election to oppose same sex marriage for religious reasons, his former political strategist David Axelrod writes in a new book, Believer: My Forty Years in Politics.

“I’m just not very good at bullshitting,” Obama told Axelrod, after an event where he stated his opposition to same-sex marriage, according to the book.

Axelrod writes that he knew Obama was in favor of same-sex marriages during the first presidential campaign, even Obama publicly said he only supported civil unions, not full marriages. Axelrod also admits to counseling Obama to conceal that position for political reasons. “Opposition to gay marriage was particularly strong in the black church, and as he ran for higher office, he grudgingly accepted the counsel of more pragmatic folks like me, and modified his position to support civil unions rather than marriage, which he would term a ‘sacred union,’ ” Axelrod writes.

The insider’s account provides the clearest look yet at Obama’s long-established flip-flop, one of the blemishes on his record as a progressive. The admission of Obama’s embrace of deception also calls into question the President’s stated embrace of a new kind of politics in 2008, when he promised to be unlike other politicians who change their views to match the political winds. “Having prided himself on forthrightness, though, Obama never felt comfortable with his compromise and, no doubt, compromised position,” Axelrod writes. “He routinely stumbled over the question when it came up in debates or interviews.”

Read more: http://time.com/3702584/gay-marriage-axelrod-obama/

33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Axelrod: Obama Misled Nation When He Opposed Gay Marriage In 2008 (Original Post) Freddie Stubbs Feb 2015 OP
I suspected this was the case OKNancy Feb 2015 #1
I think Obama, sadly, keeps many of his ideas and opinions private bigworld Feb 2015 #2
I'm looking forward to seeing what he does after leaving office. Voice for Peace Feb 2015 #27
i said this here myself. mopinko Feb 2015 #14
My father taught me decades ago that a politician's FIRST priority was to get elected... George II Feb 2015 #21
100% correct. I never believed that he opposed marriage equality. I believed Kahuna Feb 2015 #25
Alexrod, how long did you sharpen that knife? irisblue Feb 2015 #3
That wasn't a knife...that was a pat on the back. Axelrod just cemented msanthrope Feb 2015 #16
He knew that making the right thing happen JoePhilly Feb 2015 #4
If McCain or Romney were president, instead of 37 states with legalized same-sex marriage.... George II Feb 2015 #22
Agree ... and they'd have the Dederal government actively trying to stop it. JoePhilly Feb 2015 #31
Fine by me. I like how it has turned out. Sorry, if someone feels betrayed over this. I don't. cheapdate Feb 2015 #5
You earned your moniker with that one. DeSwiss Feb 2015 #13
I feel like I'm missing something. Maybe you can explain it. cheapdate Feb 2015 #28
"I've been going through an evolution on this issue....... Historic NY Feb 2015 #6
I think it's an evolutionary process for many. Turbineguy Feb 2015 #17
A politician didn't speak the truth during an election? FLPanhandle Feb 2015 #7
so does everyone else on this issue Enrique Feb 2015 #8
SO? Bush misled the nation when he called himself a 'Compassionate Conservative' LynneSin Feb 2015 #9
"Political dishonesty" BeyondGeography Feb 2015 #10
In this case, it's an extreme characterization. "Dishonesty"? Hardly. George II Feb 2015 #23
Axelrod also mentions how the President got all up in Maureen Dowd's face, cannot stand her. Can't monmouth4 Feb 2015 #11
Too bad he also mislead the nation about "change" bread_and_roses Feb 2015 #12
.... DeSwiss Feb 2015 #15
Rick Warren says ... GeorgeGist Feb 2015 #18
Axelrod knew what many of us know about the black church and other "Christian" denominations. kelliekat44 Feb 2015 #19
i have always said this JI7 Feb 2015 #20
No shit! Most Democrats do this. Axelrod ain't said nothing here we don't already know. Liberal_Stalwart71 Feb 2015 #24
Thanks, Axelrod. The Stranger Feb 2015 #26
Obama LIED sometime. That much is obvious. blkmusclmachine Feb 2015 #29
If one is surprised by this one wasn't paying attention. n/t PoliticAverse Feb 2015 #30
so will we see all this forgiveness when hillary backpeddles or changes her mind? nt msongs Feb 2015 #32
Apparently as she already has changed her stance on gay marriage. PoliticAverse Feb 2015 #33

OKNancy

(41,832 posts)
1. I suspected this was the case
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 09:41 AM
Feb 2015

I'm one of those people who believe it's sometimes wise to win first and play the political game.... and then BOOM!

bigworld

(1,807 posts)
2. I think Obama, sadly, keeps many of his ideas and opinions private
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 09:47 AM
Feb 2015

at the expense of political expediency. Which is sad. I'd love to know what he really thinks about the world.

mopinko

(70,107 posts)
14. i said this here myself.
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:27 AM
Feb 2015

and feel the same way about it.

i should get the book. i am sure a tour of ax's mind would be pretty interesting.

George II

(67,782 posts)
21. My father taught me decades ago that a politician's FIRST priority was to get elected...
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 11:24 AM
Feb 2015

....one can't do very much standing on the sidelines.

If this is his biggest sin, Obama is a saint compared to those around him.

Kahuna

(27,311 posts)
25. 100% correct. I never believed that he opposed marriage equality. I believed
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 01:14 PM
Feb 2015

his thinking was, timing is everything and 2008 just wasn't the time. But 2012 sure was.

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
16. That wasn't a knife...that was a pat on the back. Axelrod just cemented
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:33 AM
Feb 2015

the President's legacy.

JoePhilly

(27,787 posts)
4. He knew that making the right thing happen
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 09:53 AM
Feb 2015

... was more important than saying the right thing, and preventing that outcome in the process.

And by getting that outcome, the people have now come along.

George II

(67,782 posts)
22. If McCain or Romney were president, instead of 37 states with legalized same-sex marriage....
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 11:25 AM
Feb 2015

...we'd probably have about ten, if that many.

JoePhilly

(27,787 posts)
31. Agree ... and they'd have the Dederal government actively trying to stop it.
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 02:22 PM
Feb 2015

With the help of a GOP congress.

cheapdate

(3,811 posts)
28. I feel like I'm missing something. Maybe you can explain it.
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 01:29 PM
Feb 2015

President Obama has become a strong champion, in both word and deed, for justice and equality for LGBT citizens. It's hard to point to any other example in our history where such dramatic turnaround and progress on a social issue has been made in such a short time, and Obama's leadership has unquestionably played a major role in that progress.

However, it's improper to feel gladness, gratitude, and appreciation for the growing recognition of the justness of LGBT equality and Obama's role in it. It's improper because Obama supposedly disguised the full extent of his beliefs on the issue of marriage equality during the 2008 election campaign.

Is that correct?


BTW : There isn't any cognitive dissonance whatsoever in my attitude toward this matter. Which core beliefs of mine do you imagine are being protected by denial of evidence?

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)
6. "I've been going through an evolution on this issue.......
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:00 AM
Feb 2015

"I've been going through an evolution on this issue. I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally," Mr. Obama said in a television interview with ABC. "At a certain point I've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304070304577394332545729926

Turbineguy

(37,331 posts)
17. I think it's an evolutionary process for many.
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:33 AM
Feb 2015

You grow up with ideas based on misinformation and ignorance. It takes time to unlearn this. And some never get there.

Enrique

(27,461 posts)
8. so does everyone else on this issue
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:07 AM
Feb 2015

at least the politicians.

By the way this article has a lot of stuff about spin and forthrightness and political expediency, but this stuff from Axelrod is just more of it. Axelrod is still a political guy.

LynneSin

(95,337 posts)
9. SO? Bush misled the nation when he called himself a 'Compassionate Conservative'
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:10 AM
Feb 2015

I mean the guy played the damn guitar while New Orleans was drowning!

monmouth4

(9,705 posts)
11. Axelrod also mentions how the President got all up in Maureen Dowd's face, cannot stand her. Can't
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:16 AM
Feb 2015

wait to read about that...

bread_and_roses

(6,335 posts)
12. Too bad he also mislead the nation about "change"
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:22 AM
Feb 2015

... and then gave us Summers, Geithner, Summers, Rahm et all.

I could go on .... about "misleading" on transparency, whistleblowers, spying, endless war .... but why bother?

 

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)
19. Axelrod knew what many of us know about the black church and other "Christian" denominations.
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 11:06 AM
Feb 2015

They don't want to embrace the LBGT lifestyle openly. Most embrace their loved ones, their children, their parents, their other relative but they do it undercover of feigned outrage. They know full well that the LBGTs are just like all the rest of us, human beings with feelings and all the other human frailties. Some are good, some are evil...just like the rest of us. But many so-called Christians would just rather not have to deal with the issue openly.

What drives many of the evangelicals to the polls to vote against gay marriage is not so much that they haven't seen and been a part of gay relationships among their family and friends all their lives. It's that now they feel they are being forced to openly accept such relationships and have to face their bigoted and homophobic fellow church goers.

I grew up with two aunts living together all of my life and two different sets of "uncles" in the same kind of relationships. They were all accepted by the family and were really the favorites among all the "aunts" and "uncles." It wasn't until an outsider would bring up a question about why "Aunt Jessie" never married or why handsome uncle Bill didn't have a girlfriend, that made my grandparents feign their disgust and force aunt deacon Cora to "testify" in church about how Satan was taking over the family.

Ignorant? Yes. But it was the culture of the time and remnants still exist, sadly.

The Stranger

(11,297 posts)
26. Thanks, Axelrod.
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 01:21 PM
Feb 2015

We have a President who makes a fucking unbelievable move politically, socially, sociologically and morally for the nation, and Axelrod has to try to backstab him for it.

He's such a piece of shit that he has to attack Obama -- helping out the Rightist Hate-filled Extremists by weakening one of our own.

Fuck you, Axelrod. How does irrelevance feel?

This is why we lose.

This is why we lose.

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