Obama keeps his conscience in the closet

[Fearless]

Let's be clear about one thing: Vice President Joe Biden's recent comment about being OK with marriage equality did not place the president in a difficult situation.

The president placed the president in a difficult situation the day he decided to push his conscience back into the closet.

In 1996, when Barack Obama first ran for state office, he was in support of marriage equality. But once he started targeting the national stage, he became less supportive. Today he says he's "evolving," which seems to be shorthand for, "Back off, I don't want to lose this election."

...

All Biden did was speak from the heart. Just because the president lacks the fortitude to do the same does not mean the campaign should try to massage Biden's words to mean something other than their original intent.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/opinion/granderson-obama-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

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[dkf]

1. Would you prefer Obama support gay marriage and Mitt Romney win the Presidency?

Someone on Morning Joe said Obama would probably lose West Virginia and North Carolina if he does so and therefore cynically will not support gay marriage until after the election, reflecting his "evolving" views.

Do you find that avenue intolerable?

[MNBrewer]

2. No, I would prefer Obama support gay marriage and Obama win the Presidency.

See how easy that is?

[Fearless]

4. The President will obviously lose West Viriginia.

Regardless of his point of view. He is Black. There are too many bigots there, who listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, who think he's Satan incarnate or else some Kenyan Muslim Socialist-Fascist.

Additionally, West Virginia only has 5 electoral votes. And he never had them but won last time.

Then there's this... http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/04/obama-at-a-high-in-north-carolina.html

Which pretty much proves your worry about NC as being completely inaccurate.

[dkf]

6. So you absolutely doubt that this is the assessment the Obama team has made?

And you sincerely believe he is against gay marriage?

[MNBrewer]

7. Is he a liar? Did he not say, in the last unequivocal statement he made about marriage equality...

“I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian…it is also a sacred union. God’s in the mix.”

[dkf]

8. You know I think it's actually a political calculation.

And I think he could easily become "enlightened" a little bit into his second term.

[MNBrewer]

9. So then he's a LIAR

and not only that, he's willing to sacrifice a loyal constituency on the alter of expedience. Charming fellow.

[Fearless]

10. I have no idea if he is against marriage equality. He is however not for it.

That is the problem. I wonder if the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a divisive issue that could lose people elections. Actually, I don't wonder. I know. It was a divisive issue...

"The bill divided and engendered a long-term change in the demographics of both parties. President Johnson realized that supporting this bill would risk losing the South's overwhelming support of the Democratic Party. Both Attorney General Robert Kennedy and Vice President Johnson had pushed for the introduction of the civil rights legislation. Johnson told Kennedy aide Ted Sorensen that "I know the risks are great and we might lose the South, but those sorts of states may be lost anyway."[28] Senator Richard Russell, Jr. warned President Johnson that his strong support for the civil rights bill "will not only cost you the South, it will cost you the election."[29] Johnson, however, went on to win the 1964 election by one of the biggest landslides in American history. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964

[FreeState]

5. There is no evidence that this fear would come true n/t

[MNBrewer]

3. Every time the President says he's "evolving" he lets the homophobes know that it's ok

He finds us kind of icky, too.