Gay Marriage Issue and Obama

[JMiller]

Many cry Obama is on the fence on this issue, by congratulating the New York progress, but stopping short of condoning or enacting it federally. Citing it is a state issue.

Many say, he is simply being careful for the next election.

My question to you all, is this: Would you prefer Obama rode the fence on this issue for now, if it meant insuring a reelection. Then once reelected he could work on a federal law for gay marriage. Or, would you prefer he show some backbone now, make it a federal law and be done with it, that gay marriage is legal everywhere?

Obama praises NY gay marriage law, won't endorse it - Yahoo! News

 

[Storm]

The latter.

I don't think riding the fence DOES ensure reelection. Doing something might **** off the moral majority, but it would rally the rather jaded base, and I think a lot of independents.

But it's not really a fair question, as Obama never supported SSM in the first place.

 

[JMiller]

The latter.

I don't think riding the fence DOES ensure reelection. Doing something might **** off the moral majority, but it would rally the rather jaded base, and I think a lot of independents.

But it's not really a fair question, as Obama never supported SSM in the first place.

Well, he does claim "he is not done" in regard to equal rights, and claims he is "going to be at their side". What could that mean, other than making marriage legal?

He says he is evolving, which is cool, but why congratulate it so much, why seem like such a champion for the cause, but ride the fence on this one issue?

I wonder if he did enact it or endorse it federally, if it would simply get overturned if a Republican took office next? What do you think?

 

[Storm]

Well, he does claim "he is not done" in regard to equal rights, and claims he is "going to be at their side". What could that mean, other than making marriage legal?

I haven't heard that, but based on prior knowledge, I'm betting he's talking about civil unions.

He says he is evolving, which is cool, but why congratulate it so much, why seem like such a champion for the cause, but ride the fence on this one issue?

I can't think of an answer that isn't dripping with cynicism.

I wonder if he did enact it or endorse it federally, if it would simply get overturned if a Republican took office next? What do you think?

For that matter, it might backfire like Portland's week of ssm. I was delighted when they did it, and I'm still proud of their guts, but in the end what did it get us? A constitutional ban. That's bad enough at the state level.

:rainbow1: :candle: :rainbow1:

 

[JMiller]

I haven't heard that, but based on prior knowledge, I'm betting he's talking about civil unions.
:rainbow1: :candle: :rainbow1:

I got those quotes from the article in the OP, he made some somewhat bold assertions about his joining together with the group. So, yeah, it is pretty confusing and does make him look like fence rider.

 

[Revoltingest]

I prefer backbone....but only for causes I favor.
I hear what Obama says, but I don't know what he actually believes.
Is he opposed to gay marriage? Is he on the fence? Is he waiting to see which way the wind will blow? Is it just a low priority?
But I say make them queers get hitched so they become proper & decent law abiding families.

 

[JMiller]

I prefer backbone....but only for causes I favor.
I hear what Obama says, but I don't know what he actually believes.
Is he opposed to gay marriage? Is he on the fence? Is he waiting to see which way the wind will blow? Is it just a low priority?
But I say make them queers get hitched so they become proper & decent law abiding families.

A fly on the wall would be interesting...

Does he have a strategy? Does he really care about SSM, or is it simply something he has to deal with? Etc etc...

 

[Duck]

The latter.

I don't think riding the fence DOES ensure reelection. Doing something might **** off the moral majority, but it would rally the rather jaded base, and I think a lot of independents.

But it's not really a fair question, as Obama never supported SSM in the first place.

Obama never supported SSM if one believes that he himself did not fill out the TWO different questionnaires in 1996 that indicated that he did support SSM in Illinois.

I agree though that riding the fence does not necessarily ensure reelection. I think showing some spine as at least a left leaning centrist or on the occasional progressive legislation, vice caving as soon as the republicans take a breath would act to rally the base as well.

 

[Storm]

Obama never supported SSM if one believes that he himself did not fill out the TWO different questionnaires in 1996 that indicated that he did support SSM in Illinois.

I'm not a political junkie, but I've always heard he supports civil unions. Not the same thing. 1996 was a long time ago.

 

[Warren Clark]

If we want samesex marriage then wait until Obama doesn't have something to lose.

 

[JMiller]

If we want samesex marriage then wait until Obama doesn't have something to lose.

That seems to be a 64 thousand dollar question about his position or lack there of.

 

[Storm]

If we want samesex marriage then wait until Obama doesn't have something to lose.

My instinct is that politicians should put their duties ahead of their careers. Of course, Tom Potter did that, and look where it got him....

 

[Duck]

I'm not a political junkie, but I've always heard he supports civil unions. Not the same thing. 1996 was a long time ago.

True 1996 was a long time ago, but it seems from what little I have read, that his position changed when he began his entry into the national political scene. If I remember correctly, as late as 2004 he was in favor of ssm vice civil unions; it wasn't really until he started sucking up to bigots like Rick Warren that he came out against ssm; Obama's statement to Warren that he opposed ssm was used by proponents of Prop 8 to help pass that hate legislation.

 

[JMiller]

My instinct is that politicians should put their duties ahead of their careers. Of course, Tom Potter did that, and look where it got him....

So did Anthony Weiner! He put his duty of hotdog sales, ahead of his career!

Had to go there, sorry

 

[Storm]

True 1996 was a long time ago, but it seems from what little I have read, that his position changed when he began his entry into the national political scene. If I remember correctly, as late as 2004 he was in favor of ssm vice civil unions; it wasn't really until he started sucking up to bigots like Rick Warren that he came out against ssm; Obama's statement to Warren that he opposed ssm was used by proponents of Prop 8 to help pass that hate legislation.

Yeah. Even the best career politicians suck.

 

[LuisDantas]

Obama has been way too timid and made way too many concessions already, to the point that I wonder if they are even true concessions. If he gives any more terrain I will hope that he doesn't get elected anyway.

 

[Penumbra]

Many cry Obama is on the fence on this issue, by congratulating the New York progress, but stopping short of condoning or enacting it federally. Citing it is a state issue.

Many say, he is simply being careful for the next election.

My question to you all, is this: Would you prefer Obama rode the fence on this issue for now, if it meant insuring a reelection. Then once reelected he could work on a federal law for gay marriage. Or, would you prefer he show some backbone now, make it a federal law and be done with it, that gay marriage is legal everywhere?

Obama praises NY gay marriage law, won't endorse it - Yahoo! News

I don't have a lot of evidence, but my assumption is that he is for gay marriage but is more for picking political stances based on popularity, and probably considers it a lower priority than economics and foreign policy.

I think his strategy is backfiring a bit, because people don't want a wishy-washy president that goes with popularity. They want a president that sticks to his principles according with reason. So I don't really view it as something he should sit on the fence on for popularity sake. Democrats have a significantly larger voter base than Republicans, but are less likely to vote. The people that are already against Obama are going to vote against him anyway- so showing some more backbone and more assertiveness, is likely to get some of those Democratic voters who would otherwise be apathetic towards him to care enough to vote.

 

[Warren Clark]

I don't have a lot of evidence, but my assumption is that he is for gay marriage but is more for picking political stances based on popularity, and probably considers it a lower priority than economics and foreign policy.

I think his strategy is backfiring a bit, because people don't want a wishy-washy president that goes with popularity. They want a president that sticks to his principles according with reason. So I don't really view it as something he should sit on the fence on for popularity sake. Democrats have a significantly larger voter base than Republicans, but are less likely to vote. The people that are already against Obama are going to vote against him anyway- so showing some more backbone and more assertiveness, is likely to get some of those Democratic voters who would otherwise be apathetic towards him to care enough to vote.

Project Vote Smart - President Obama on S J Res 1 - Same Sex Marriage Resolution

Project Vote Smart - President Barack H. Obama, Jr. - Voting Record

 

[Penumbra]

Project Vote Smart - President Obama on S J Res 1 - Same Sex Marriage Resolution

Project Vote Smart - President Barack H. Obama, Jr. - Voting Record

Exactly, he takes the politically safe route of saying that marriage decisions should be left to the states. This route gets the decision safely away from the politician holding to it.

It's no secret he is against federal definition of marriage- he has stated that DOMA is unconstitutional. He says he personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman (coming from a politician, who knows if that's true or not), but that federal government shouldn't have bans against gay marriage, and he praises groups when they succeed in the states at allowing gay marriage.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Obama has been way too timid and made way too many concessions already, to the point that I wonder if they are even true concessions. If he gives any more terrain I will hope that he doesn't get elected anyway.

Just what was this change we can believe in anyway?

Taxes are still low.

Gitmo is still open.

We still are in Iraq.

We still are in Afghanistan with more troops than Bush ever had there.

The economy still sucks.

Unemployment is even worse.

He spent over 4 trillion dollars in just over two years and promised it would help.

Banks are still open but no one can get a loan, (what was the point?)

Actually the more I think of it, he is pretty much just like George W. Bush, more debt, more troops and starting another "not war".

I should like Obama better than I do.