Some of the headlines from Drudge:
AP: GAY STANCE SETS 'WORLD PRECEDENT'...
FLASHBACK 2009: Cheney endorses gay marriage...
WASHPOST: 'Wink and a nod' no longer enough...
Germany hails 'courageous' decision...
REPORTER: 'I'm getting chills again'...
ELLEN: Obama 'brave' for evolving...
Raises $1 million in 90 minutes...
Still Not Signed 'Nondiscrimination Executive Order'...
But with all this gushing breathless praise, what exactly has the president done? Here is the direct quote from the interview with Robin Roberts:
"I've been going through an evolution on this issue. I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally," Mr. Obama said in a television interview with ABC. "At a certain point I've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
You'll notice my not too subtle emphasis. He "personally" thinks same sex marriage is groovy. What about policy changes? Well here is what the white house is adding to his interview:
While the president opposes the federal Defense of Marriage law that defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman, he doesn't plan to pursue new U.S. policy on gay marriage, aides said, because he believes states should decide the issue.
So on the one hand he personally believes in same-sex marriage but on the other hand he doesn't believe in it enough to actually do anything about it.
Why? Because he's trying to have it both ways. My guess is that internal polling is indicating that the path to reelection isn't going as smoothly as the experts are saying it will be, so he has to shore up the base without ticking off those opposed to same sex marriage too badly. Especially after the blow back from Biden's gaff last weekend on "Meet the Press". And the fact that North Carolina voters just amended the state constitution to ban same sex marriage by a whopping 61-39%.
So he had to do something to signal his base that he was there for them and as usual he decides to vote "present". But with a complaint media gushing over his 'courage' and 'bravery' it will look as if he has made real lasting policy changes when in reality he's done nothing except 'personally' come out of the closet (so to speak) on the issue.
Exit question: Is there one person in the country that was really surprised by this?
Of course his "personal" endorsement of gay marriage changes absolutely nothing. Plus he says its a states right thing. Well 39 states have said "NO". Amazing how gushing the media is over this nothing comment. Even the build up to the "announcement" was over the top.
ReplyDeleteHe could not pursue it as the Constituion does not give the Federal Government control over it. Why the heck do Republicans always talk about having a smaller government while at the same time wanting to tell us how to live and what we should believe in? (Yes I am a Republican)
ReplyDeleteViking man, thank you for dropping by. Agreed on the constitution. specifically we need to seed many of these decisions to the states and let them sort it out. every time the Feds get evolved with a one size fits all it goes to pot.
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