Poll Sees Obama Gay Marriage Support Motivated by Politics

[alp227]

Most Americans suspect that President Obama was motivated by politics, not policy, when he declared his support for same-sex marriage, according to a new poll released on Monday, suggesting the impact of his decision was undercut by the unplanned way it became public.

Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed by The New York Times and CBS News since the announcement said they thought Mr. Obama made it “mostly for political reasons,” while 24 percent said it was “mostly because he thinks it is right.” Independents were more likely to attribute it to politics, and nearly half of Democrats agreed.

The results reinforce the concerns of White House aides and Democratic strategists who worried that the sequence of events leading up to the announcement made it look calculated rather than principled. Mr. Obama, who had said since late 2010 that his position on the volatile issue was “evolving,” finally proclaimed his support for same-sex marriage only after Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. did so first on television.

“If Biden hadn’t said something, I don’t think he would have said anything either,” said Larry Gannon, 48, a graphic artist from Norwalk, Calif. and an independent, who participated in the survey.

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/us/politics/poll-sees-obama-gay-marriage-support-motivated-by-politics.html?pagewanted=all

[Vidar]

1. Certainly seems plausible.

[pinto]

2. Eh. Specious framing, imo. Last I checked, Obama was a politician. Comes with the territory.

Strawman meme.

[Politicalboi]

3. Yes because we all KNEW it would help him

It was risky and it could have gone the other way. I doubt it was for political gain. I personally thought it would be a negative against him.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. I thought that it was rather risky myself

however I think that him endorsing it was ultimately the right thing to do and it has the potential to really start a meaningful dialogue in this country about the issue. Political dynamics have changed significantly since the last time it was used in a campaign (2004) and, while much work has yet to be done in the states, particularly in educating people about what is and what isn't real about marriage equality- which the right-wing has been successful in obscuring every time it gets put on the ballot or put to a vote-people are increasingly more progressive in their thinking about marriage equality and that is something that the right-wing cannot fight or hold back forever. The fact that President Obama's endorsement of marriage equality has even inspired some Democrats in Congress to begin seriously discussing initiatives like ENDA and even agreeing to hold hearings on it seems like it- as well as the repeal of DADT- has helped created an opening to advance LGBT equality that might not otherwise have existed.

[Godhumor]

4. eh, this is from the "call back" poll, so it is pretty much meaningless

The pollsters called people in mid-April, then only called those same people back for this one. They even pretty much admitted the only people who talked to them a second time were those who really wanted to say something. As a result the poll has some severe selection bias, a the people who trend to speak up are those who are anti-status quo.

It is poetry awful methodology, and I hate that it is being trumpeted as a "real" poll.

[Lasher]

6. You are being too kind. The short term reaction appears to have been slightly negative.

05/06/12 Biden told Press the Meat that he was personally comfortable with same-sex marriage. Obama's lead in the Real Clear Politics Composite drops to 1.2% from 2.7% the previous day.

05/07/12 Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he supports the same policy as Biden. Obama's lead drops to 1.0%.

05/08/12 Obama announces his support of support for same-sex marriage. His lead drops to 0.2%.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/obama-gay-marriage_n_1503245.html

I agree with Sam Stein at HuffPo: This "...constitutes an act of political bravery..."

[ilikeitthatway]

5. It was a calculated, and the right thing to do

It's politics.

[mvd]

7. It was the right thing to do. And while he waited until now to..

announce it, I believe the President "evolved" on the issue a while ago. Democrats should show this kind of courage more often (though I wouldn't have qualified it with the states' rights thing). At least if we are true to progressive principles, we can't blame ourselves. It would be a foolish electorate instead of Democratic leaders.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. *sigh*

I'm going to try to be as positive as I can about this big lug of a country that, while it has plenty (mostly) decent, kind, smart, and compassionate people, nevertheless seems to have the chronic misfortune of being represented by a small but very vocal mob bigots and misanthropes.

[Arkana]

10. I'm an Obama supporter and I think it was motivated by politics.

However, I still think it was the right thing to do, even if it wasn't for the purest of reasons.

[AtomicKitten]

11. If it was for political gain, Obama rolled the dice on it.

Regardless, it was the right thing to do and in the end that's all that really matters.

[racaulk]

12. I think Obama, privately, has always been in favor of marriage equality for gays and lesbians.

I think any public statement he has made on the matter ("God is in the mix," his views were "evolving," etc.) were calculated and timed in such a way to make incremental progress and to minimize the impact on his electability. I think this latest move is no exception. He is a politician, after all.