DISQUS

johnnierandom · 5 months ago

I think another interesting point, but certainly not surprising, is that Brian Williams was not prepared to ask Obama the obvious Loving v. Virginia follow up. Its not as though the argument that marriage should be left to the states is new, novel or unexpected from a politician, and any multimillionaire journalist, or at least his production staff, should be both aware of this argument and of the direct relevance that Loving (not to mention the IRS argument raised in the comments here) has to that argument. I don't think its too much to ask (but sadly, with mainstream US journalists it is) that one of the highest paid people in the profession, with a staff of researchers and producers and people who can talk into his earpiece, to ask the obvious follow up, to a constitutional scholar no less, who is himself the product of a bi-racial marriage -- well then what about Loving?

Rob Mule · 5 months ago

Brian Williams' 2 hour Obama PM Magazine feature had all the depth of the Home & Garden channel house tour...beautiful angles but lots of repeat shots and no substance to the narrative track or the interviews...
Simpering like a fanzine and making the President promote Conan!?!?!?!? What the f___ is NBC smoking???

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

Bingo.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

Don't you understand? This was just the latest reality show (that America has such a vociferous appetite for) with soft lighting and a more handsome set, complete with a couple of remote locations thrown in.

Our "leading journalist star" was oh-so-pretty and convivial and our President was "responsible" and "dignified" in all his remarks. It was total warm and fuzzy and well calculated to reassure America and the world that all is well. (Nothing to see here, just move on now.)

[As for any reference to "them" -- OMG keep that to an absolute minimum. We've got to maintain decorum befitting an "orderly" society.]

whomod · 5 months ago

I dunoo, the most frustrating part of all this hoopla over gay marriage and the obama Administration is that it's guided by too much emotion and too short term a memory.

Yeah, of course Obama "slipped" and gave his real opinion. People here really think he's against gay marriage personally? No, he's against it politically. Two different things.

Some people tend to forget what happened to Clinton. When he came into office they tried to move fast and hard on a lot of things including gays in the military. that led t a backlash that unfortunately sat Gingrich and the Republicans in power. We're just coming out of that death spiral now.

And the last thing I want or this country, gay or otherwise needs, is Republicans put back in any sort of power. Then gay rights as well as a host of other concerns including health care pretty much go out the window.

So Obama learned his lesson. you don't plow through on progressive reform. You ease people into it. Or else you'll be where Clinton was. Trying to just stay above water in the face of fierce Republican opposition. I'd rather gain ground gradually than spend the rest of his term just trying to hold it if you move too fast and cause a voter backlash like Clinton experienced.

Yes, yes, I expect emotional retorts from people about staying quiet too long etc. etc.. I've read them over and over again. And I sympathize. But again, I think it's better to move gradually to a better place than to work hard just to hold ground and keep from moving backwards on account of some voter revolt.

And I think gay rights as well as a host of other concerns DO NOT NEED Republicans regaining ANY sort of power returned to them on account of impatience.

nicho · 5 months ago

So, my being concerned about being stripped of my civil rights is just a "hoopla" to you?

Is that like the "hoopla" over segregation? Or the "hoopla" over denying women the right to vote?

whomod · 5 months ago

No. Hoopla is about the daily reaction to Obama in regards to gay rights. He's not your enemy any more than I am. But it sometimes reads like it, if everything doesn't play out at exactly some peoples pace and choice of rhetoric.

But this is what I sometimes expect when discussing this issue here. A select few want to turn anyone who disagrees even a bit with them into bigots. Emotion is to be expected when it affects one personally, I "get" that. But we're all on the same side and want the same thing whether one wants to recognize this or not.

Mike_H · 5 months ago

I'm mostly sympathetic to your view, whomod, but on the other hand... how long do you honestly expect us to wait, quietly, patiently, while nothing happens? A month? Six? A year? Two?

The arguments you make can continually be made. "Oh his first year, there's too much on his plate."

"Oh, it's 2010, we need to think about the mid-term elections, it's too controversial."

"Oh, it's time to start positioning him for re-election, the next two years aren't really the time for this... but get him re-elected, and he SWEARS he'll really DO something THIS time."

Even if he doesn't do anything in his first year, a firmer statement of principles on GLBT issues would be helpful. He's so coherent about so many other parts of his platform, this lack of a coherent message on GLBT issues is part of the very issue fanning the hoopla!

We're legitimately concerned, whomod. Maybe Obama is not our enemy, but he's yet to demonstrate he's truly our friend, either.

whomod · 5 months ago

I don't know how long we'll have to wait. I don't expect it to be too long though. I don't expect it to be a "wait" in the classic sense either. As I said, i think we're getting there gradually anyways thanks to individual states to where the Federal response will just be an inevitability.

I also reject the idea of "too much on his plate". I think Obama can handle many issues at a time. But just like war crimes and torture, i think Obama is playing it gradually and smartly. You move too fast on things, you risk undermining everything. Better to let it gain it's own momentum so it doesn't look to opponents as if YOU"RE the cause and thus can organize opposition against you to thwart progress. And frankly, this thing has it's own momentum that I don't think Obama really needs to do to much.

Now on war crimes, it drives me nuts to see it going so slowly and without much response from the Obama Administration. but I think Holders complete absence in the midst of this debate is telling. And it's not telling me that Obama doesn't care or is going to ignore this. It tells me that he's not revealing his hand just yet. He's letting Cheney give us all enough rope and letting the media and Congress lead the debate and give it momentum.

You get in the forefront, you risk making it overtly partisan and thus you risk making it about YOU and thus easy to oppose and stop thru election.

It's also one of the basic rules of management. You don't want to get in the way of your own business' progress thru micro management. And as is being demonstrated on an almost weekly basis, California currently notwithstanding, there is a momentum there already for gay marriage. Something that is being seen as indirectly related to the change coming from the Obama era and not BECAUSE of him personally. That's actually a great place to be in politically.

So I'll concede with John's reply right now, maybe we could expect a bit more clarity and coherence from Obama. And I have no doubt that in the near future, we will. But gay marriage is not something I worry about NOT happening nationwide. At least not right now with Republican dissaray and Obama playing them like a fiddle.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

Your point has to be clearly in the mind of any thinking, politically savvy person and it is gigantically important.

My strong personal view is that our community "leaders'" self-serving insistence on the M word is what created the horror for the world over the last 8 years, so I am totally mindful of your point about over-reaching.

And yet, there are critical turning points in history when one either grasps opportunities or allows them to slip by and it appears to me that we are at such a time with GLBT equality.

This urgency of now (how fitting his expression is to my point),
WAS recognized by Barack Obama during his campaign but has been calculatedly backed away from at every juncture of potential capture for equality progress.

Having been a player and a front-line witness to the struggle for gay equality since the late 1960's, I am astounded that we have the opportunities at hand that we now do. Those opportunities don't make so much of a difference in my personal life, but every night of my life, capturing the opportunity at hand weighs on my heart and mind -- for those younger and yet to come.

I truly, truly believe that if our community does not somehow steer Barack Obama back into the active capture mode soon, we can add another 10-15 years for gay equality to evolve and ripen in this country.

What IS the value and worth of 10-15 years of equality in the lives of millions of Americans?

I can't say, but my conclusion has been that it is of adequate value to take some risks. To have it tossed around frivolously like some basketball in arrogant Barack Obama's afternoon hoops game is personally repugnant to me. HOW DARE HE.

Bottom line: I don't want us to behave stupidly and carelessly but sitting on our hands waiting or saying "Daddy Barack please" is NOT the direction I've chosen to follow, despite the risks.

Rob Mule · 5 months ago

Exactly...The right is just waiting for anything to be transformed into one of their crap attacks (racist latinas or dissing Queen Betty in Caen sound familiar?)...
We gay people have accomplished so much culturally and socially while politically we've swept past countless winger attempts to marginalize or twist us into scary strawmen.
Team Obama's steady non-controversial course while steadily picking off Republican moderates (his gentlemanly camera time with Nancy Reagan was pure moderate gold) will get us where we all legally and constitutionally want to be.

Butch1 · 5 months ago

I noticed Boener had to get into the act by putting his arm around Nancy Reagan and pawing her when ever he had a chance.
( Are the cameras rolling . . .are the cameras rolling? ) Don't be surprised if you see this picture in his port-folio or when he runs for office again.

Klad InVermont · 5 months ago

I agree with you, that progress sometimes needs to be "eased into" rather than "rallying a torch wielding mob" & with marriage equality, as long as individual states (MA,CT, IA,VT,ME, NH) continue to stand up for equality for their fellow citizens, progress will keep moving on. With NY & NJ pending marriage debates, the states approving marriage equality will continue to grow & a "tipping point" will eventually be reached, that will even more so call DOMA's relevance into question.

whomod · 5 months ago

Exactly. It's pretty much an inevitability already. With enough states recognizing gay marriage, it'll reach a tipping point to where anything but full recognition federally won't make any sense anyways.

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

It's a fair point, but the concern is that Obama isn't slowly gliding us anywhere. There is no plan. And if they don't start moving on a plan, then next year, and the year after that will still be too soon, because it will need a "glide path" too. I don't object to having to wait, per se (though boy the Latinos clearly don't have to wait, it's Christmas every day for other groups that Obama's political people like), but I do object to feeling as though the Obama team has no plans whatsoever to lift a finger on any serious commitment they made to the gay community. That is, I think, what is really ticking people off. They don't trust these guys any more to do anything, even in a year or two.

Ben Dover · 5 months ago

Jesus H. Christ, Barry. Make up your mind. It's not that difficult to tell the truth. There is no gray area. There is no middle ground. There is no compromise.

You are either for Equality, or you are not. Reach down and grab your balls and get some fortitude. It is unbelievable that you can take on peace in the Middle East and cannot speak clearly and coherently about Equality, here.

Give your honest answer to the question and move on, because I know we will.

Andy Humm · 5 months ago

I understand the person holding him back on gay stuff is Rahm Emmanuel. But the real person holding him back is a guy named Barack Obama. I just wish he was as sensitive talking about gay issues as he is about Muslim issues and race. That he is not shows where we stand and it ain't pretty.

Indigo · 5 months ago

And what's more . . . he does not get 2 points for anything. Change "gay" to "black" and read all about how little he cares.

petra glyph · 5 months ago

doesn't uh inspire uh a lot of confidence

offspring · 5 months ago

lol priceless post

Milli · 5 months ago

Agree. I despise his "uhs".

kimbutgar · 5 months ago

I think he has so many battles going on now that he doesn't want to take on this one at this moment. Someday marriage between 2 consenting adults regardless of their gender will be the law of the land. Who would have ever thought we would have a black president in our lifetime. I think it will happen but it's going to take time because the bush/cheney cabal so f'd this country there is only so many battles one can fight at one time.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

Then he should not have committed to millions that he would take it on as our fierce advocate.

Kimberly G · 5 months ago

Well point taken

Steve_in_CNJ · 5 months ago

hospital visitation? that is so 90s. that was the safe way for intolerant liberals to feign tolerance. "yes i believe that gays should be allowed to eat food -- i'm not a monster." something like that.

whomod · 5 months ago

Jeez. Nice caricature there.

Steve_in_CNJ · 5 months ago

i'm reacting to his bizarre choice of talking points. it's prehistoric.

whomod · 5 months ago

I dunoo.. Obama doesn't strike me as being out of touch, generally speaking . Rather, i think he's skilled at talking to the level of where many moderates and conservatives are at the moment. If they're stuck in the 90's, it's because we had a decade of Republican's keeping us static in regards to social progress.

So I'd expect him to speak to those people on THEIR level, not on yours or mine. then hopefully in the span of 4 years, he'll bring EVERYONE to where we are now. And the idea of gay marriage won't be rationale to elect Republicans to stop this. it'll be as ordinary as to be a non-issue.

caphillprof · 5 months ago

Obama doesn't get to choose his levels. He is speaking for all of us.

whomod · 5 months ago

He's also speaking TO all of us. That is an important distinction. and frankly, most people in this country aern't as progressive as the lot of us here are. That is important to remember if you don't want to find oneself moving backwards rather than forward.

Even here in supposedly the most progressive state in the Union, proposition 8 passed. So I hold no illusions about where this country is at, at the present and where it needs to get to.

Steve_in_CNJ · 5 months ago

a major reason why prop 8 passed is Obama's 'god is in the mix' comment. consider for a moment that the country might be ahead of obama.

whomod · 5 months ago

Yeah. i can consider that. some of the states passing gay marriage are surprising the hell out of me. which is a pleasant surprise actually.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

That is why the United States of America has a Constitution. . .

which enabled HIS parents to marry and beget him, by the way.

Barack Obama is a Constitutional scholar.

Rights are not a popularity contest.

A leader of character would say that.

A person of character with his background would defend that with his life.

Barack Obama DID say virtually that while running for office.

Now?

The pieces are easily put together really.

caphillprof · 5 months ago

I think you Californians would do well to look yourselves in the mirror. Any state that birthed Ronald Reagan and Howard Jarvis cannot possibly be the "most progressive state in the Union." Somewhere in New England is the most progressive state in the Union.

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

Joe said the same thing to me, about the 90s.

mozzie killer · 5 months ago

i am a human!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SusieQ · 5 months ago

"I am not an animal!" sayeth the Elephant Man. Some times we're just too icky.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

Absolutely correct. How much more lame can he get?

Our President is going to fight fiercely for our hospital visitation rights. Change we can believe in.

Some aspects of this man are truly pitiful.

Lesliedf · 5 months ago

MLK would be more than embarrassed, Antinous.

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963

Hospital visits? How about getting the same right to health coverage for all family members so they can get into the hospital to be visited?

36 seconds he speaks about "friends" after 4 months.

I heard his speech from Cairo today. Nothing he encouraged the Muslim world to do is being done in this country for Americans who are gay.

Antinous · 5 months ago

God I hate Chicken Sh*t political answers, MLK would be embarrassed.

timncguy · 5 months ago

Constitutional "scholar" my ass. No constitutional scholar could possibly say that "God is in the mix" of CIVIL marriage with a straight face. God is specifically DENIED from being in the mix of any civil matter. period. end of story.

I pity Obama's former students if that's the kind of crap he was peddling in class.

Why didn't Brian do some research and ask him how God can "constitutionally" be in the mix of any civil matter? Was he afraid it might embarass Obama to have that one thrown in his face?

I suppose there are two sides to these latest debates and you can fall on either demanding ACTION now or pleading for giving Obama more time to produce for the gay community.

But, no matter which of those sides you fall on, everyone should agree that what we have gotten from Obama to date on our issues is INEXCUSEABLE.

The only actions he has taken prior to the June 1 pride proclamation were these:

1. Sign on to the UN resolution once you have determined it can't actually be enforced.

2. Water down the LGBT equality language on the White House web site.

3. Acknowledge the marriage equality victory in Iowa by making it the butt of a joke at the Correspondants dinner.

4. Acknowledge the protestors in CA outside the Obama fund raiser the day the court ruled on Prop 8 by making them the butt of a joke.

All of the ACTIONS Obama has taken up until June 1 were actions to degrade the LGBT community.

Recall when Obama "inadvertanly" made a joke about Special Olympics on the Tonight Show. He was FORCED to apologize the next morning for damage control.

But, there have been no apologies for his INTENTIONAL jokes about LGBT equality issues.

We are always told to stop whining, its just a joke, don't take yourself so seriously, stop being so thin skinned. etc, etc

Why wasn't that the response to Special Olympics? Why do they deserve respect where gays don't?

I understand the Special Olympics is a GREAT worthy organization that does good work with kids helping them develop to their full potential and build their self esteem. But, guess what. There are KIDS in the gay community as well. And, the teen suicide rate for gays is HUGE compared to others.

When the president intentionally belittles LGBT equality, he gives license to everyone else to do the same.

We deserve as much respect as the Special Olympics. There is NO EXCUSE for Obama making LGBT equality issues the butt of jokes. Especially when he isn't doing ANYTHING positive for the community at the same time.

Eamon · 5 months ago

I have a suspicion based only upon watching that little clip that Obama is very close to saying that he is very close to Darth Vader's position on marriage and that DOMA needs to be repealed. I have no evidence to support that other than the inferences I drew from the clip, if marriage is really not the business of the federal government (which I agree with). I don't think he was squirmy in his reply. I think (and hope) that he is a man with a very full plate being pulled in all sorts of directions by various political constituencies, not the least of which is his bible-based religious upbringing. We shall have to keep a vigilant watch over him.

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

I think his heart is in the right place, I think he's lying outright when he says otherwise, and I think his advisers have him convinced that to do anything other than very small things for us is suicide.

SusieQ · 5 months ago

Agreed, John. We need to know who is advising him on our issues. Smells very Rahm to me.

Mimikatz · 5 months ago

I think Barack is just not comfortable with gays or gay issues. He seems to have fewer gays in his inner circles than Ronald Reagan had. It seems like whoever is advising him either isn't gay or is not v ery progressive him/herself. He needs to get with it on the issues and deal with whatever the cause of his discomfort is.

Why do people think Rahm Emmanuel is the obstacle, other than that people just don't like him? I think Obama is the obstacle.

Roy · 5 months ago

Look at Obama's body language. When Brian asks him the question, Obama immediately (and reflexively) frowns and looks away from the questioner.
These are strong signals that the responder is lying or is about to lie .

pjkool · 5 months ago

The country is desperate for leadership. President Obama should stand up for what he really believes. Leadership starts at the top. Even though the Republicans lost the election they still control the conversation. The Democratic party leadership is afraid of the right wing shredding machine. It’s a sad state of affairs. I think it’s time to replace the Democratic ‘leadership’ in the congress.

FunMe · 5 months ago

The republiCONs control the conversation primarily because they own most of the TV networks. This has to stop!

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE anybody?

fredndallas · 5 months ago

I think Barack Obama IS "standing up for what he really believes" = cleverly pander to "them" (notice that he was not even comfortable converting that structure from the question to ANY utterance that had a greater "gay" conotation), actually do as little as possible just like a "normal" straight jock would do (including put "them" down in jokes and references when he gets the chance.

nicho · 5 months ago

John, I think you're trying to read too much into this. Go for the simplest explanation: Obama's position is incoherent.

He is a politician. Politicians do two things -- collect money and count votes. He needs the money from the gay crowd and their allies, so he has to say one thing to accomplish that. He knows that kowtowing to the homophobe community will gain him more votes than he will lose from the progressive community.

So, basically, he has to dance to the tune from the homophobe community, while trying not to piss off the progressive community too much -- and that results in an incoherent position. Don't try to parse babbling.

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

Good point

whomod · 5 months ago

No, not really.

Reading nicho's posts, he's coming from a position of absolute bitterness.

"The homophobe community" is just the kind of blanket generalization that plays right into the hands of people who actually are homophobes. Just because someone isn't where he's at right now doesn't mean that they hate gays and wish them all manner of ill will. It could mean that right now, they're just ignorant or uninformed.

But to lump EVERYONE who disagrees with gay marriage at the moment into the bigot camp is way counter productive and comes off as negative and bitter and certainly won't help the cause of gay rights. That kind of rhetoric just helps turn off the very people Obama is trying to ease into the 21st century.

nicho · 5 months ago

Sorry, but that's who he's playing to -- the homophobes. He's sucking up to the McClurkin crowd, to the Rick Warren crowd, etc.

I never said that everyone who was opposed to gay marriage was a homophobe -- those are your words -- but Obama is definitely playing to the homophobe camp.

People who aren't really homophobes wouldn't withhold their vote from Obama on this issue. The homophobes would, which is why he's courting them.

whomod · 5 months ago

Yeah. Maybe so. I agree.

But unfortunately, more people in the middle and center right (and no, i don't count the 21% who Obama or us will EVER reach) agree with Rick Warren than they do with you or I.

The good thing though is that as I've been saying, momentum is on our side. to the point where even the odious Dick Cheney supports gay marriage and Rick Warren has to backpedal on the issue.

So it doesn't come down to Obama having to say anything to sway opinion. The momentum of the issue itself is making Cheney and Warren do it for him. And frankly, that's rather impressive I think.

I think one is more inclined to change their POV if someone they see as one of their tribe helps change it for them rather than if they see it coming (or being rammed thru) from a "LIBERAL" (note the quotations)

Lynn Dee · 5 months ago

Every time I hear Obama speak on the subject of gay marriage, I say -- to the T.V. or the radio -- "I don't believe you. You know better, Obama. I know you know better."

I know he has a lot on his plate, etc. etc. and perhaps feels he can't take this battle on now. Fine. But jeez, it must stick in his craw to say something as lame as "defining marriage belongs to the states."

Meanwhile, why not put a moratorium on DADT drummings-out of qualified people from the military?

nicho · 5 months ago

Maybe we should have left desegregation to the states. Maybe we should have left voting rights to the states. Maybe we should have left women's suffrage to the states.

FFups · 5 months ago

I think it's ridiculous that we need to listen to ambiguous 43sec snippets by him on the topic to decipher what he *possibly* could have meant. Yeah, and I agree, the fact that he's for hospital visitation rights doesn't make me jump up and down with excitement. That sounded almost like McCain's response on Ellen during the election campaign.

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

You're absolutely right. It's like having to decipher the lights on at midnight in the Kremlin. We're supposed to be beyond that with this president and this Congress.

Indigo · 5 months ago

He's still in denial, only just beginning to realize that he hasn't got a clue what gay people are all about. All he's ever met are a few sophistimacates with lacey hankies and, I'm free-associating here, maybe David Geffen. He doesn't get it.

True Bob · 5 months ago

Ahem. As long as you can file taxes "married, filing separately" or "married, filing jointly", it sure as hell IS a federal issue. Just sayin'.

nicho · 5 months ago

You can add Social Security survivor benefits, immigration, SSI disability payments, and about 1,500 other benefits that you don't get if you're not "married."

Jophus · 5 months ago

Thats true Bob.

AdmNaismith · 5 months ago

The question to Obama or any triangulating Dem is, 'Are you against equality?', and to follw up', Well, are you?.

Obama and others seems to be. I mean, who would stand up and say they are 'against equality'?

tlsintx · 5 months ago

thank you! why is it so hard for anyone, ANYone to ask that simple question...not this silly business of "do gays and lesbians have a friend in the white house"

my god.

Jophus · 5 months ago

In one of the closets.

nicho · 5 months ago

Rick Warren claims he is a friend of gay people. He just doesn't want them to have any civil rights.

Jophus · 5 months ago

I am furious about this issue, but I have got to say, damn we have one sexy president.

Blueflash · 5 months ago

Of course Obama's position against gay marriage is a politically expedient lie. As state senator here in Illinois be was unequivocally for it. He's "evolved" since then - backwards.

Mike in Texas · 5 months ago

DOMA is federal regulation of marriage. Could this be a signal about plans for DOMA?

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

He needs to stop sending smoke signals and telling us what he's going to do :-)

Mike in Texas · 5 months ago

Now *there's* some wishful thinking!




________________________________

mamazboy · 5 months ago

I think that's a very interesting point, Mike.

Mike in Texas · 5 months ago

Mamazboy, I hope it's not simply wishful thinking.  Like most others, I'm not very happy with Obama at this time.




________________________________

fredndallas · 5 months ago

I wondered too.

Turning point for this man, but tell me at other less telling turning points when he did the courageous, principled thing.

offspring · 5 months ago

news flash if your married you get FEDERAL benifits, if your married you file FEDERAL taxes, if your in the military your spouse gets .... you guessed it FEDERAL benefits so obama yes very much so marriage is very much a federal issue, be glad it is because if it wasnt your mom and dad would not be able to marry in this country

caphillprof · 5 months ago

If he is really for civil unions, then his health plan will treat domestic partners as married spouses for purposes of private insurance coverage.

Steve · 5 months ago

Right. And I have some sink hole land to sell you in Florida.

JohnInTexas · 5 months ago

And a slightly used freshly fumigated FEMA trailer to put on it, CHEAP. Delivery and setup charges extra.

mamazboy · 5 months ago

I too would like to know who Obama is listening to on this. Whoever that person is (or those persons are) needs to be exposed and lobbied like there's no tomorrow to start giving better advice. The culture is moving forward, evolving nicely, on the issue of gay marriage and gay rights, and Obama is looking increasingly ridiculous not coming out clearly stating he supports us. The only down side is the usual one of the squawking idiots on the extreme right, but they behave the same stupid way no matter what Obama, or any sensible person, says. So there's no reason to consider these fools when formulating strategy.

Steve · 5 months ago

Why do people assume Obama is "listening" to someone? Why not assume just as well that these are Obama's views himself?

We cannot let Obama off the hook her. The buck stops with him.

nicho · 5 months ago

It's all calculated. They all know exactly what they're doing. His failure to say anything -- anything -- about the Prop H8 debacle spoke volumes. We are on out own.

I didn't expect him to overturn it (I know he can't) and I didn't expect him to slam the Supreme Court (even though they deserved it), but he could have said something, anything to show support for the GBLT community. All we got was silence and some incoherent mumbling from his spokesliar that would have made Tony Snow blush with shame.

Steve · 5 months ago

He get's gets 2 points? For what?

On GLBT issues he talks a good talk generally, but does not walk the walk.

We are sitting at the back of the bus and are being told to wait our turn.

It is especially sad given he is the first African American President, but then again the religious African American's as a percentage of their group voted overwhelmingly against marriage equality in California last year by a higher percentage then the population as a whole.

For Obama, GLBT people are not a priority, just a campaign resource.

And I enthusiatsically supported Obama from the day he announced for the presidency.

KarenMrsLloydRichards · 5 months ago

We ain't on the damn bus. That bus drives by us every time without stopping. No matter how hard it's raining.


At least Rosa Parks got ON the bus before she got thrown off it.

whomod · 5 months ago

States Gay Marriage is legal:

United States:

North East

Connecticut
District of Columbia
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Maine
Massachusetts
Vermont

Plains/Midwest:

Iowa

North West:

Oregon
Washington

and growing.....

I still remember when it was groundbreaking and monumental that Massachusetts passed gay marriage. What was that? 5 years ago? Since then the movement has grown exponentially.

So the metaphor partly fails. Pretty soon it'll fail completely. and that is a good thing.

SusieQ · 5 months ago

Better check your list again, Whomod.

KISSman · 5 months ago

Where the 'uh's really necessary to put in the transcript? IMO, it comes off as snarky and irksome.

While Obama is not perfect, he's still the best chance we have in attaining the federal rights you desire (and deserve) to have. It's been, what, 4-months into a 4-year term and he's somehow falling short on gay rights? While I encourage being active in the fight, there needs to be some patience in the matter as well.

John Aravosis · 5 months ago

I thought about and put them in expressly because if you listen to the recording, until the last ten seconds or so, the "uhs" are quite pronounced and show a physical level of discomfort with the question and the answer.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

Exactly!

If Sherlock Holmes had as many clues in any case as we have with Barack Obama, he would have been known as the village idiot if he had spent more than a day IDing the culprit.

Butch1 · 5 months ago

I don't know about Rasputin but more in line with an Iago. He needs to follow his own thoughts.

Tom · 5 months ago

I think we should start a movement of protesting STRAIGHT marriages around the country until our voices are heard!

FunMe · 5 months ago

Great idea Tom!

We could have posters with those "traditional" marriages like Newt Gringrich, President Clinton (with photos of the girlfriends), etc.

erip · 5 months ago

Do we have a friend in the white house asks brian williams... my answer is with friends like this???
As has been posted before while marraige isn't regulated by the federal government, the government is involved in marraige when it comes to federal benefits. Secondly, if he's such a constitutional scholar then why isn't he speaking about the fact that the majority doesn't get to vote on civil rights. He is the product of a biracial union. The majority of the country was against biracial marraige and it required an intervention of the federal courts to protect that right.
While we understand that Obama can't single handedly change DOMA OR DADT, he has been SILENT on these issues. He has no problem telling the muslim world that they need to respect the rights of women, but he has yet to make a bold, change we can beleive in, statement regarding gay rights.
If the squeaky wheel gets attention, then its about time the GLBT community starts to make some noise. This is supposed to be a secular nation run by the rule of law. Religious ideology has no place in governance or civil rights and we helped obama win to insure that. Its time for him to take a bold strong stand on this issue

daho · 5 months ago

Was it me, or during that White House special didn't Obama seem really tired and out of it? Michelle also.

Guess the office is catching up with them.

whomod · 5 months ago

I caught that.

it was also telling that when discussing the dog, Michelle was commenting on the negative in regards to tearing up a magazine and Obama jumped in and reinforced the positive.

Rahm's criticisms about family friendly for HIS family though caught me off guard. He backtracked of course but it went out there.

ShirleyGoodnessanMercy · 5 months ago

Obama obviously hasn't thought about justice for gay citizens for a long time. His answers are very 1993.

Clearly we can not look to him for leadership on our issues. It is up to us to push for our rights in Congress, and then just hope that Obama and his WH Frat Boys don't stand in the way.

FunMe · 5 months ago

We have a President who is the result of the love of 2 people of different races.

WHY is it so hard for him to understand the love of 2 people of the same sex?

Is it really religion?
Or heterosexuality - afraid to be thought of as gay?
Or what?

Can you imagine how COURAGEOUS and STRONG President Obama would be if he had showed true leadership by standing by his words "fierce advocate for LGBT people".

Instead, in barely 6 months, he's becoming a typical politician.

Sad.

Meanwhile, the Democrats will not do anything for us. We have to DEMAND that our rights are equal to everyone and make lots of noise until we get there.

You are either with us or against us.
No middle ground.

ibankerbob · 5 months ago

Should black people be allowed to marry white people?

Hasn’t white-on-white marriage been a foundation of the Western tradition for centuries?

Why do we need a federal law allowing blacks and whites to marry (Loving vs. Virginia)?

Was this law forced on the nation in 1967 by “activist” Supreme Court justices?

If black and white people want to “marry”, should they be allowed to do so only under a civil union arrangement – the legality of such arrangements to be voted on by the electorate of each state?

Joshua · 5 months ago

People need to ask themselves , "What is the purpose of marriage?". The only purpose I know of, is to pass property rights onto children IF produced by said union. In the old days there was a stigma not being "Legitamate", it prevented a father's child from claiming property rights.

What difference is there between a hetrosexual and a homosexual persons? The only difference is ,what they find sexualy attractive. How does Homosexuality differ from a sexual fetish? Are Furries "born" that way? If someone is "born" -that- way, is it not a birth defect?

If you define Homosexuality as a sexual fetish , AND conclude it deserves special considerations, then do other sexual fetishes deserve the same special considerations? Can one compare a sexual fetish with the "natural" order of procreation and call them the equal?

Same sex couples have a right to live as they choose, do what makes them happy, BUT do they have the right to demand validation from others?

No act of man can make Unequal things , equal. Apples will still be apples and different from oranges, despite Laws, votes and descions to the contrary.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

Fetish? Is heterosexuality a fetish? Do you even know what a fetish is?

Away with you, go to a library before i release the hounds.

quark · 5 months ago

If you define fish as fowl you can also come up with some far fetched bullshit conclusions.

However we can safely define Joshua as an asshat and then when we can plainly see that your hat is sitting directly upon your asshole, we can correctly conclude that you have your head up your ass.

BTW your "logic" means that we must declare all marriages of heterosexuals who cannot reproduce "illegitimate". Why do you hate all old people?

cory · 5 months ago

Joshua .. why do you care if two guys get married? How does it concern you? I presumed you are straight because your thinking of gays suck. Gays fall in love just like you do and just want the right to marry the person they love and to spend their life with. Why is that so difficult for some straights to understand? How do you feel if straight marriage is illegal?

timncguy · 5 months ago

and why woud you even suggest defining homosexuality as a "fetish". There is no credible source that claims to make that definition.

whomod · 5 months ago

Well, it's certainly a novel um... "out' for Larry Craig and his type of self-deniers.

fredndallas · 5 months ago

What a difference there is between promise and fulfillment from a person without character.

Candidate Barack Obama, February 2008:

"It’s wrong to have millions of Americans living as SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS in this nation. And I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS ELECTION so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans. I WILL NEVER COMPROMISE ON MY COMMITMENT TO EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL LGBT AMERICANS. As your President, I WILL USE THE BULLY PULPIT to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. Americans are YEARNING FOR LEADERSHIP that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, WE NEED LEADERSHIP that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. JOIN WITH ME, AND I WILL PROVIDE THAT LEADERSHIP. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike."

"Friend and Leader" President Barack Obama, Bully Pulpit, June 2009:

Review the transcript of his 42 seconds of words and umms and ahhs.

dula · 5 months ago

Gee, I wonder how long Blacks would have had to wait for their Civil Rights if Prez Johnson thought it was a State's issue. Thank God 'ole Lyndon wasn't a coward.

dula · 5 months ago

I can only assume that those of you who seem to have all this time to wait for your Federal Rights are not personally affected by not having them. If your family was being ripped apart for lack of immigration Rights through Marriage or if you were desperate for Social Security benefits from your partner, you may have a different perspective. As usual, Americans tend to not give a shit about anyone else as long as they got theirs...the pioneer spirit having mutated into something vile.