President Obama announced today that he is personally in favor of recognizing same-sex marriages. Before we get all serious about the topic, let's get the humor out of the way first:
"It is good to see that after intense political pressure that President Obama has finally come around to the Dick Cheney position on marriage equality."
-GOProud's Chris Barron
Admit it, that's good humor.
On a more serious note, I am not surprise at Obama's position today, I'm just surprised that he has decided to admit it. I suppose we'll have to see what the polls say, but my first take is this is going to cost him 10% or more of the black vote. A significant number of black Americans are already angry at Obama for economic reasons. Combine that with a personal position that many black evangelicals loathe and you may see a significant drop in turnout for Obama among black Americans. Look for Obama to push hard that his personal position will not translate into any meaningful administration policies. I wouldn't think that he has the credibility left to pull that off, but I could be wrong.
Yesterday North Carolina voted by a wide margin for a constitutional amendment that rejects same-sex marriage. A similar amendment will be on the ballot here in Minnesota in November. I haven't decided for sure how I will vote on it. My original position for a long time had been that I was opposed to gay marriage, but I am also informed on this issue by two gay younger siblings who have each been in a long term relationship for many years. No one has successfully presented me with an argument that convinces me that they should be denied the civil right to marry. Unless that happens, I will most likely vote against the proposed amendment here.
All of that said, what Erick Erickson points out about North Carolina is also valid here:
North Carolina did not pass a ban on gay marriage as the media reports. Rather they refused to allow their definition of marriage to be changed. The marriage definition was put into law years ago, but with an onslaught of judicial activists, the voters in North Carolina decided to shut down any further consideration of the issue.
Yes. Gay activists have made a horrible mistake in turning to the courts instead of the slower and more difficult, but more permanent, process of changing opinion and seeing victory in the legislatures. Some thirty states have enacted amendments specifically to prevent that now and Minnesota may very well join that list. I will support gay marriage that comes from the state legislature but I adamantly oppose it being imposed by judicial fiat.
One final eyebrow raiser from President Obama during his interview with ABC today:
"...when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained,..."
Really, Mr President? Fighting on your behalf?
Slip of the lip or slip of the mask? I'm going to give Obama the very same benefit of the doubt that he would give Mitt Romney and say it was a slip of the mask. Obama is so full of himself that he really does think our nation's military fights on his behalf.
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