The Perilous Politics Of Same-Sex Marriage — Why The President Is Still ‘Evolving’

[kentuck]

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/gay-marriage-obama-endorse-poll.php?ref=fpb

<snip>

For those who wonder why President Obama won’t fully embrace same-sex marriage, despite relentless pressure from within his own party to do so, Tuesday night’s landslide passage of a same-sex marriage ban in North Carolina offered a reminder.

TPM has reported that the President’s current positioning is a challenge for his campaign on the messaging front. On the one hand, the President and his team have to maintain the strong support of the LGBT community, a crucial voting bloc for Democrats. But on the other, gay marriage is simply not a political winner electorally, and especially not in the swing states needed to win a second term.

<snip>

Referendum votes to affirmatively legalize gay marriage have uniformly failed over the last decade, North Carolina only being the latest example. Before that it was Maine, where the legislature passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage which was signed by then Gov. John Baldacci (D-ME), then challenged through the Citizen’s Veto process, in which opponents gathered enough signatures to put it to a statewide vote. Polls showed the measure in a dead heat a few weeks before the vote, until the opponents of same sex marriage seemed to break through at the end, as the new law when down 53 percent to 47 percent.

In now 32 cases, states have voted to amend their constitutions banning same sex marriage. The biggest battle in recent memory was the bruising battle over Proposition 8 in California, which passed 52 percent to 48 percent, and has since been struck down by the courts and is making its way through the appeals process. The one outlier is the 2006 vote in Arizona, when a narrow 51 percent 48 percent majority struck down a ban on gay marriage. Only two years later, the state voted to instate the ban.

...more

[Autumn]

1. How can one "evolve" for so long?

I'm getting sick of that word. Either you know what is right and agree with it, or you are against it and using that word for political cover.

[kentuck]

2. I think you are absolutely right...

From the article:

"However, there’s a much stronger counter-argument — the office of the President has literally no power to deal with this issue, as it is completely decided by the states. Proponents argue that strong leadership from the bully pulpit on a signature civil rights issue isn’t just the right thing to do, but would serve as a major boost. But the political question for President Obama is why he would endorse a policy that all of the major swing states have rejected when his position on the matter is practically irrelevant."
=============

I do not have a solution. However, I do know that giving power to the Republicans will not move the issue forward. More likely, it will be set back.

In my opinion, Republicans see this as a winning issue for their Party. That is why they jumped all over Joe Biden's comments. This will get their unenthused voters to the polls.

From a cold hard look at the numbers, it looks like the Democratic Party has more work to do to persuade the people to our side. We simply have to work harder. I don't know what else we can do at this time?

Any suggestions?

[Autumn]

3. I am at a loss. I have no suggestions to offer

All I know is that it should be easy to do the right thing here, these are Human Rights he is "evolving" on here.

[kentuck]

4. And we have to keep educating people about that fact...

..that it is about human rights. That this is about our loved ones, our friends and our family and that we should be above such discrimination as a country.

I think the pressure should be continued to be put on the President to take a stand. He could support equal rights for all our citizens, even if he understands that it is up to the different states to decide the issue.

Democrats may have to wait until this election is over. I know that is a difficult thing to ask. But we must face the political reality. Republicans are using this as a divisive tool to divide the Democrats and unite the Republicans. It is a cynical ploy. And we need to find a way to defeat it.

[Fumesucker]

5. Evolution has neither a purpose nor an end point..

It's actually a remarkably silly metaphor in this case..

[justiceischeap]

6. I am a person, not a political football to be kicked about. (eom)

[Nye Bevan]

7. The President needs to lead on issues like this, not cravenly pore over opinion polls (nt)

[cherokeeprogressive]

8. Re-election trumps principles every fucking time.

President Obama PROVES he's a politician first and foremost.

Fuck a buncha that.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. I was absolutely wrong in this instance. I apologize, and My Daughter thanks you Mr. President.

n/t