Obama won't back gay marriage. Anyone else think this could hurt him politically?

[Gogf]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/us/politics/30marriage.html?_r=1&ref=politics

Having already alienated most of the country with his position on the war and failure to solve our current economic problems, Obama could have seen support for gay-marriage as a no-brainer way to reinvigorate support among his liberal base while only turning off people who already don't support him. For some reason, he continues not to. What do you think?

 

[civver_764]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/us/politics/30marriage.html?_r=1&ref=politics

Having already alienated most of the country with his position on the war and failure to solve our current economic problems, Obama could have seen support for gay-marriage as a no-brainer way to reinvigorate support among his liberal base while only turning off people who already don't support him. For some reason, he continues not to. What do you think?

I think he's becoming the stereotype for douchebag politician.

 

[Cutlass]

Politically this won't matter much. He's moving a bit in that direction. So that will mollify that minority for which this is a serious issue. Without too much offending the people who are against it. Sum total, this won't matter.

 

[Holycannoli]

It's tricky. It's a subject that can hurt him politically no matter which stance he takes. Best to just stick to your guns, no matter which side you back.

 

[Junius]

Agree it won't matter. It certainly won't cause any pro-gay marriage folk to vote GOP.

 

[Earthling]

Obama could have seen support for gay-marriage as a no-brainer way to reinvigorate support among his liberal base while only turning off people who already don't support him.

I don't think this is true at all, is why. Large swaths of "centrists" or "lazy people who only listen to soundbites" could go either way on the issue of gay marriage, while not being decided between the Democrat/Republican tickets for 2012, which might be enough to influence their votes. Remember 2004? Not really a reason things have changed for a large number of people. Meanwhile, it's hard to posit that so many people in the "liberal base" will be so angry they won't actually bother to vote at all (because you must assume they're not voting for whoever comes out of the Republican primaries) and that will make a difference.

 

[Japanrocks12]

The president has put aside his personal beliefs and described recent NY happenings as "a good thing." That's about as far as he can back it without compromising his personal beliefs. Earlier, he had endorsed voting no on Prop 8, again in apparent contradiction to his faith. Note that he doesn't get whiny about them every time something like this happens, which is an example that many here can learn from.

 

[BasketCase]

Obama could have seen support for gay-marriage as a no-brainer way to reinvigorate support among his liberal base while only turning off people who already don't support him.

Obama already has the liberal base in his pocket--they'll always vote for him rather than for a Republican. Obama didn't win in 2008 from the liberal base. He won by getting the support of moderates. And most moderates oppose gay marriage (they simply can't say so in any place where they can be overheard)

Obama's refusal to back gay marriage will probably help him.

 

[NiRv4n4]

What annoys me is that, just because of the fact that he is a democrat/left winger, some people expect that he should support gay marriage. Politics and the human mind is just way too complicated for a two party, black and white system.

State decided gay marriage is a good stance, would alienate the least amount of people.

 

[Cutlass]

What annoys me is that, just because of the fact that he is a democrat/left winger, some people expect that he should support gay marriage. Politics and the human mind is just way too complicated for a two party, black and white system.

State decided gay marriage is a good stance, would alienate the least amount of people.

Except, of course, he's not left. And no one on the left thinks he is.

 

[BasketCase]

Obama is definitely left. Yet, at the same time, you're correct (I originally wrote "right" but that would have just been confusing ) in that nobody on the left thinks he is. This is the political aspect of Einstein's law of Relativity: perception depends on reference frame. A liberal will see another liberal as being "less liberal" than he or she actually is.

 

[Arakhor]

Does that mean that every right-winger will see centrists as left-wing?

 

[MobBoss]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/us/politics/30marriage.html?_r=1&ref=politics

Having already alienated most of the country with his position on the war and failure to solve our current economic problems, Obama could have seen support for gay-marriage as a no-brainer way to reinvigorate support among his liberal base while only turning off people who already don't support him. For some reason, he continues not to. What do you think?

If near 10% unemployment wont hurt him politically, why would this? Again, its too much of a non-issue to really hurt him in comparison to all the other stuff already on the table.

 

[Traitorfish]

I think he's becoming the stereotype for douchebag politician.

Nah, he's just unveiling the fact that he always was one.

 

[downtown]

I think this is prob the right move politically, but the wrong move morally.

My gut tells me that Obama is waiting to see which way the political winds blow...there isn't a political benefit in coming out (ba bum pish) one way or the other now. If the gay marriage ban in MN fails, and Maryland or Rhode Island passes it, Obama may very well come out in favor of GM sometime during the 2011 campaign season. If that doesn't happen, he'll shut up about it and the issue will fade away. Throughout this Presidency, Obama has always let others do the heavy lifting when it comes to convincing the public.

Obama is prob going to need a jolt in the arm to get the progressive wing of his party excited again. The risk isn't that these voters will vote GOP, it's that they wont vote at all. Obama won several states in 2008 on a wave of new and irregular voters (like Indiana and North Carolina), not just moderates. Plus, his campaign staff runs on the energy (and money) of progressives. Without that excitement, he's going to have a very hard time keeping up with Big Conservative Money.

 

[Leoreth]

I think he's becoming the stereotype for douchebag politician.

That's a tautology.

 

[Maniacal]

I wouldn't be surprised if him supporting gay marriage federally would hurt him more than help, which is really sad.

 

[Save_Ferris]

It will help win over centrist voters.

 

[Theige]

It will help win over centrist voters.

It will help him.

 

[Millman]

Maybe people who think they're being judged unfairly by their gov. should separate. Lets pretend you had to run your own life, what would you do? There's all kinds of aspects and responsibility to take on in any position. Be careful to keep your position public and not private. That should be grounds to dissolve your sovereignty.