Finally.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/09/politics/obama-same-sex-marriage/index.html

President Barack Obama, who previously said his views on the issue were "evolving," said Wednesday that he supports same-sex marriage.
"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," Obama said in an interview with ABC News.

Video at link.

Allow me to say "ABOUT DAMN TIME." I'm sure that there are those who will say that this is too soon, and it will upset many people. My response is "I don't care". Civil Rights should not be dependent on popular support.

The way is forward. Time to lead from the front.

Comments

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

It is good to see the evolution of his views reaching some conclusive point after all.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Maybe he'll eventually evolve enough on Guantanamo, too.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Bloody heathens.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Heathendom has advantages: freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom to marry. Why be a slave to the material Creator?

[southwest]

Whatever. These issues, like gay marriage, legalizing marijuana, women's right to choose are important. But to an average working American they are of secondary importance. What is more critical: why did the economy not improve? why are not we better off now than 4 years ago? why is my mortgage under water? how am I going to pay for the college education of my children? why can't I get an affordable health care? am I working for my own future or slaving for the shareholders of big corporations? Fuck gays and their issues, let's talk my financial well-being.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

well, I don't think Obama's all like "I'm for gay marriage, and I'm not going to talk about anything else for the rest of the campaign."

For what it's worth, I do think civil rights affect your well being.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

I hate feeling so cynical about all of this. I mean, yea, any step forward is a step forward, and it's about damn time we had a president willing to actually publically state that gay marriage isn't going to infect all "normal" marriage with supergaycooties.

I still want to ask him: "Where the hell was your bold stance 24 hours ago... hell, WEEKS ago when your bully pulpit might have rallied up some support in, say, NC?" And what exactly can HE do about the issue?

Trying to stay optimistic. The fact of public support at that level IS unprecedented, and can lead to other things, even if merely by example. Take small victories for what they are, and keep moving forward.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

well, I look at it this way -- NC is the straw that broke the camel's back.

After all, the REALLY pragmatic choice for him would have been to wait till after his re-election.

[kayjayuu.livejournal.com]

Some people will say he's just talking. His personal opinion, couched in vague terms and expressed four months before a re-election ballot, holds no sway. Yay for his personal opinion, let's see if it remains consistent or he walks it back in the face of criticism.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Apologies if this will sound too cynical, but what are the odds that this has something to do with the coming presidential election? I mean: why now?

[dwer.livejournal.com]

I fully expect that it's related to the election. But really, so what? He also has to MEAN it if he's not going to lose the entire LGBTQ community.

[oportet.livejournal.com]

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 I will gain more votes than I will lose if I say same sex couples should be able to get married,"

Fixed it for him.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Not in NC, I deem.

[fierceleaf.livejournal.com]

Congratulations to USA!

Does it influence the lawmaking? Or it is just an opinion?

[telemann.livejournal.com]

It only has moral influence, and nothing legal.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Better late than never.

It would be nice if he instructed lawmakers to repeal DOMA.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

it would be much more active than simply refusing to defend it, that's for sure.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I'm glad he's on the right side of this issue now (cynical ploy for support and/or money or not), but he still says it's an issue for the states, which at least implies that, yeah, he's actually cool with DOMA now.

Changes little, but hey, excitement.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

And gets people talking about something other than the economy. WIN.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Conversely, I'm sure some'd argue that the fish starts stinking from the head. :-)

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I did not know that fish could give head.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

His views are... evolving?...

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

more then simply flip-flopping. He's changed his mind and it's not going back.

Also "evolving" suggests he might be moving further to the left on social issues, especially on gay rights issues. Expect more. Who knows, he might even legalize oral sex in the territories it's illegal.

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

He's been consistent in his 'evolution' toward this final statement.

That said, it's still about the economy.

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about "consistent". In fact his evolution has been rather... how should I call it... "complex".

First Obama outright supported legalizing same-sex marriage when he first ran for the Illinois Senate in 1996.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/images/publications/wct/2009-01-14/current.pdf

Later in 1998 when he was running for re-election in the Illinois Senate in 1998 he was "undecided".
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/images/publications/wct/2009-01-21/current.pdf

Then in 2004 when he was running for US Senate he supported civil unions but not same-sex marriage.

Then in 2008 he said he considered marriage to be between a man and a woman, and said he was not in favor of same-sex marriage.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/11/obama-on-mtv-i/

Then he supported civil unions that would have an equal status like that of marriage for same-sex couples, under the condition that the states should decide on the issue.
http://articles.cnn.com/2007-07-23/politics/debate.transcript_1_new-ideas-issues-don-t-matter-child-care-legislation?_s=PM:POLITICS

Then he opposed Proposition 8 in California.

And now he fully supports same-sex marriage.

Honestly, I am truly confused.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Heh, Stewart is on to it.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-8-2012/joe-biden-voices-his-support-for-gay-marriage
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-8-2012/rainbow-disconnection
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-8-2012/rainbow-disconnection---obama-s-evolving-views-on-gay-marriage

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

CONGRATS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDC4P3ck9i8) to John!

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

Obama is not at the front of anything. Nor does he apparently have the capacity to be.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Where's Mitt then?

[muse-misery.livejournal.com]

I truly doubt he will gain more than he will lose by outright saying this. jmo.

I respect that he said it. It's a risk and he did it because it obviously matters for him to do so & for his supporters to finally hear him say it. He could have easily remained vague on the topic and lost nothing, really, as far as votes go. But he did and he stands to lose a lot of swing votes because of it. Not to go all cheerleader about it, but I dont think it warrants any cynicism from me. Not this time.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Fox Nation's comment section sure will make your blood curdle. (http://nation.foxnews.com/president-obama/2012/05/09/obama-reverses-position-same-sex-marriage)


ceejay123: Obama is the first POTUS to swear in on the Koran.

nomomoney4u: Brokeback Cowboy in Chief

NEWS FLASH!! OBAMA OFFICALLY SUPPORT G@Y MARRIAGE...PRES OBAMA OFFCIALLY NOT CONSIDERED BL@CK ANYMORE...

liberaltears: He just lost NC, VA, WV and possibly even CO ... and we haven't even got started yet. LOL

recon_2 : Like anybody is gonna listen to a President that just got beat by inmate #. 25468903 ,, hahahahahahah that is RICH!!!!!

Obama,
- I pray gas prices are ten bux a gallon at election time
so your lazy foodstamp,
welfare grubbin parasites
can’t even afford to go vote

the treasury broke……I can’t wait til November…….register and VOTE people !!!

[ Jesus, can recon_2 write a complete sentence correctly? ]

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

I firmly think he has been for it from the get go, but been advised to show caution in his stance. Now he probably got the advice to let the dogs out, and went to town. Personally I couldn't give a rat's ass if the timing is significant or if he wins or loses votes on this, this still is the right stance for the president to have. Better late than never. Far better actually.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

hmmm...it's hard for me to really, in my heart, feel what emotion some might have on this topic if viewed as a possible threat to conventiona/traditional straight marriage. i always try to put myself in someone else's shoes, but this one is hard to do.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

a very strategic time to go ahead and be honest. he's almost out OR he's almost in again . . . so he might as well be honest now *cards on the table maaan**

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

For some reason, even though I probably should have known to expect the result from North Carolina, I was really bothered by it. Maybe it was learning that NC is now the 30th state to have a constitutional ban on gay marriage? Or maybe the the victory party where they ate wedding cake, you know, just to kind of twist the knife a little?

So it felt damn good to hear him voice his support for gay marriage. I don't even care if it was politically calculated. (I'm not saying it was so, like others are suggesting - I'm saying that even if it was, it still felt good to hear. I don't care about Arne Duncan's views, and I thought Joe Biden has said supportive things before, though I could be thinking about DADT.) Maybe it was even that the NC Republican bigots didn't get the last word.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

He's smart, educated and left wing, it's hard to see his personal opinion being anything other really.

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The original interview (http://gma.yahoo.com/president-obama-cites-winds-change-same-sex-marriage-223754072.html) is interesting. Obama says that Biden's recent stand on the issue prompted him to come out with his own position. He also makes a religious argument which might not sit well with certain "Obama is a Muslim" fanatics. He defends his "change" of position as being not for political gain. He mentions the role that his children played in the decision.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

(uint32) 0xffffffff!

[notmrgarrison.livejournal.com]

Obama’s gay marriage announcement followed by flood of campaign donations

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-gay-marriage-announcement-followed-by-flood-of-campaign-donations/2012/05/10/gIQA2ntCGU_story.html

[merig00.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that Obama has caught up to Dick Cheney on this issue