Comments On: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage? by Paul Constant http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/05/07/what-is-the-obama-campaign-thinking-on-gay-marriage Comments On: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage? by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Mon, 20 May 2013 20:30:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by clashfan]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 12:53:11 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
Are we sure it's not just wishful thinking on our part?
Posted by clashfan]]> Wed, 09 May 2012 06:45:27 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
I agree with you in spirit, but the highest office in the government is not the place to start building support for a 3rd party. A total outsider, even if by some miracle s/he was able to win an election, would have absolutely no support in Congress or the Senate. Spend a decade or two building up a foundation at the local and state level, and that could change. Meanwhile,the only thing standing between me and 4-8 years of regressive politics, and the certain loss of the paltry gains I've made as a lesbian in recent years, is electing a severely flawed Democrat. My partner lives in a foreign country, and until all of these discriminatory anti-marriage laws go away, we can't be together. Rolling the dice on principle, and then waiting another 8+ years to marry the person of my choice, is the most depressing choice imaginable.
Posted by Karina]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 22:42:36 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
that smokey smell is your ass.

you got burned.
Posted by hotstuff]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 09:38:55 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
>>"We have no REALISTIC options. I wish there was a viable 3rd party, if only to force the two existing parties to take a committed stand about anything."

So what would a "viable 3rd party" look like? And how will we ever create a viable alternative party if we remain locked into this mindset that we must vote Democrat for President every time, OR ELSE (duhn-duhn-DUUHHHNNN!)?

That mode of thought is exactly what allows the Democratic leadership to take us for granted.

But what if there's something bigger at stake here than which establishment stooge is in office for the next four years? This could be the year that we make alternative parties a viable option.

>>"A vote for anyone other than Obama is a vote for Romney and all his right wingnut buddies."

Not so. Romney doesn't hold the "one ring to rule them all" for the right. He has his own spoilers to contend with.

As Paul Constant puts it in his recent post on Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson:


If Johnson gets enough media attention, he could wind up being a kind of Ralph Nader of the right, siphoning small-government votes away from Mitt Romney.


Even if voting for an alternative party in 2012 does contribute to a Romney win (I'm certain it won't), it will succeed in building support for an alternative party President in 2016. The change has got to begin some time.

We will never break free of the corporatist duopoly until we're willing to take a chance.

Check out the recent alternative parties presidential debate.
Posted by Ipso Facto]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 04:12:56 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
I believe marriage equality is going to be acceptable to the US in the near future. That being said, if equality and choice activists aren't doing everything possible to remove the Teabagger infestation from Congress, then you're getting what you pay for.

Peace.
Posted by Married in MA]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 03:50:12 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
Also, you can choose to believe what you want to believe, but I've been trolled before, and using a troll to your advantage while also belittling them is something of a hobby of mine.

Next time it happens, you'll believe it just fine...or, you'll STFU like you should have ages ago, as it relates to me and my fact-based opinions that exist in most rational people's shared reality (which they either choose to ignore or acknowledge, depending on the type of person or hypocrite they are...)
Posted by malcolmxy]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 02:12:20 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
The post is about whether or not this is a coordinated effort by the Obama campaign to allow the VP (and others) to deliver this message, or whether it was an uncoordinated gaff by the VP and the Secretary of Education, 'cause ya know...2 high level officials in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government are complete idiots like that and both unprepared for an obvious question like this one...especially when one of them was the Secretary of Education.

The post ends with a poll about the Obama Campaign and what everyone's overall thoughts are around the statement by Biden and how it relates to the campaign.

DID YOU READ THE POST? If you did, did you actually understand it?

Never mind.
Posted by malcolmxy]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 02:05:43 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
Time to "tea party up" or shut up.


Posted by bornhere]]> Tue, 08 May 2012 00:22:02 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by I have always been... east coaster]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 20:48:13 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by Xenos]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 19:45:27 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
"I was wrong on PURPOSE! It was my plan!" Man, the contortions you go through to avoid looking like you're full of shit. Don't you realize it always makes you look even more full of shit?

I'm not complaining. It's the best laugh I've had all day.
Posted by Free Lunch]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 19:03:49 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
Yep...he did say that. I was just hoping to be corrected as strongly as you corrected me so that it was as apparent as possible that Obama is no real friend of gays in their pursuit of the rights they are currently being denied.

Thank you for performing this service for me. If there was one person I knew I could count on for this, it was you.

Gracias again.
Posted by malcolmxy]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 18:51:18 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by Karina]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 18:43:33 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
Dude, I know you hate Obama, but please stop just making shit up. Also, please spare us from one of you long, linkless refutations. Put up (a link), or shut up.
Posted by Free Lunch]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 18:07:07 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by malcolmxy]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 15:55:55 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
>>"Some rights supporters will be less enthusiastic about Obama because of his apparent lack of commitment, but ultimately, who else are they going to vote for?"

@22:

>>"Obama knows he has the gay vote because we have zero options, so he has no compelling reason to stand up on this issue"

Meet Rocky Anderson:
http://www.voterocky.org/marriage_equali…

I've been proud to consistently support full marriage equality. When I ran for Congress in 1996, I unequivocally advocated for marriage equality -- and opposed the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was signed into law by President Clinton. As Mayor of SLC, I signed an Executive Order prohibiting discrimination in hiring on account of sexual orientation, I was Grand Marshal in the Gay Pride Parade, and I flew the rainbow flag over the City & County Building on Pride Day. I received recognition by HRC as one of the top ten straight advocates for the GLBT community.


Meet Jill Stein:
http://www.jillstein.org/stein_hails_was…

According to Stein, “The first step toward national marriage equality needs to be leadership from the head of the federal government. It’s time for President Obama to take a clear stand in favor of eliminating discrimination in this area. When the President says that civil unions are good enough for same-sex couples, he’s putting gay and lesbian couples into a second-class category that encourages continuing discrimination.”

Posted by Ipso Facto]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 15:33:43 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>
I'm agnostic on all of this. I don't think anyone, left or right, seriously doubts Obama's personal position. On the one hand I think it would be great, and excite the base, if he said out loud that he supports marriage equality. On the other hand...marriage equality has passed lately at the state level only thanks in part to a few brave and principled Republicans who took a political risk in voting for it. if Obama makes his support explicit, tying himself to the policy, he effectively makes it utterly off-limits for a Republcian to support, since the aren't allowed to like kittens and chocolate, if he does. So in that sense, his avoidance is pragmatic, if very frustrating.
Posted by Lynx]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 15:10:44 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by Karina]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 14:49:10 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by pfffter]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 14:28:09 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by pfffter]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 14:26:11 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by prompt]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 14:02:33 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by scratchmaster joe]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 13:27:38 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]> Posted by Cato the Younger Younger]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 13:27:00 -0700 The Stranger <![CDATA[Re: What Is the Obama Campaign Thinking on Gay Marriage?]]>

Posted by CodyBolt]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 13:11:53 -0700 The Stranger