Via Andrew Sullivan:
A new SUSA poll shows Black Californians backing Prop. (H)8 58% to 38%, which would amend the CA constitution to change the definition of civil marriage to solely between a man and a woman. This is by far the largest gap in any ethnic group and black voter turnout is sure to be at a record breaking number come November because of this historic candidacy.
All this makes it vital, in my opinion, that Barack Obama strongly and unequivocally oppose Proposition 8 in California, rather than keeping mainly quiet as he has done so far. We need him to make an ad opposing it. This is a core test of whether gay Americans should back Obama as enthusiastically as they have in the last month. If he does not stand up for gay couples now, why should we believe he will when he is in office?
I completely agree with Mr. Sullivan and the Washington Blade who have called on Obama to do more. I was young at the time that Bill Clinton passed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). I have however read all about it and am paying careful attention so history hopefully doesn’t repeat itself.
Polls are showing Prop. 8 statistically tied right now. Obama needs to prove that he is willing to stand up for his convictions and do what is right.
Marriage Equality is the civil rights movement of our generation and his actions could have a critical impact.
Memo to Obama: make an ad. Speak loudly. Defend equality. Defend it when it might actually lose you some votes. Show us you are not another Clinton.
timing. Now Obama is kicking ass winning this race. No need to give the Repub team any thing new to use in a new line of attack. 2 more weeks–let him unfold his social justice agenda after election. If I was an Obama advisior I’d put it on the back burning until he has unequivocally won the game. He is scoring with the economy and with back lash over the hate rallies.. It would have given him an opening if Joe the Plumber is gay!
I do, and it’s always about a balance between pragmatism and idealism. However, that line needs to be drawn somewhere and for many gay people I think it should be drawn at Prop. 8.
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p>Obama has already come out against Prop. 8 and it hasn’t been used against him. This election is mostly about the moderates anyways and if it was going to be used against him it would’ve already been done so.
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p>And the larger issue is of trust. How do gay people know that Obama won’t just pull a Bill Clinton? They were promised all sorts of rights by Clinton and the opposite rather manifested.
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p>As MLK Jr. said:
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anyway to know. My personal opinion is that we are beyond the phase of advocating for specific issues –We are at the stage of having to line up with one of two camps if one wants to be influential. Reminding him by contactng his campaign may help–then making it a cause — by contacting and pressuring his civil rights people may be effective. This stage – late campaign is surreal and there is little assurance that advocacy for specific issues will be heard, taken seriously or worse will be twisted and self-defeating. If you want to be pro-active I would just contact he people (repeatedly) on his campaign staff that are dealing with civil rights. He is not going to chance turning off swaths of conservative and religious voters 2 wks before election. Cant help though to hear from advocates. That is just my assessment of campaign dynamics and issues.
it can’t help
Polls are showing the issue statistically tied right now and so every bit of help is needed. Not to mention that the ethnic group with the biggest gap in favor of Prop. 8 is black voters whom will be voting in record numbers this year (young people too, but the poll shows them about evenly split which I thought was rather shocking). If Obama reached out and made an ad it could very well be the deciding factor.
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p>I will be calling the Obama campaign and urge others to do the same at (866)-675-2008.
and re-iterated quite strongly his opposition to Prop. 8. So I don’t quite buy the argument that it could or would be used against them. I think they would’ve been done so already.
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if he actually said out loud “it is ok to be uncomfortable with gay marriage, but it is also very wrong to discriminate against a minority in the constitution. for this reason, i urge everyone to vote against these unfair and unnecessary amendments.”
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p>as paul mentions below, the polls say we’re still within reach of victory in both california and florida. in an election where every vote on these amendments counts, obama having a few words with his base could make all difference.