Bill Clinton refuses to address LGBT inequality in his DNC speech.

[JackBeck]

Almost every speech at the Democratic National Convention this year has elevated the visibility of our community, but when it came to Bill Clinton's fiery speech tonight, we were conspicuously absent.

No mention or explanation why Obama fought to overturn Clinton's DADT.

Not one mention of why Obama's administration refuses to defend Clinton's DOMA.

[JI7]

1. Clinton's Job tonight was to Defend Obama on the Economy

because that is where he is considered a success.

[JackBeck]

12. Other speakers have defended Obama on economic policy

while driving home his success on social issues as well.

Why couldn't Clinton admit that Obama was on the right side of social justice history?

[JI7]

22. Clinton wasn't just another speaker, he was given a primetime spot

and Clinton has credibility among many on the issue that others don't.

and he has admitted he was wrong on the issue.

[JackBeck]

29. If you have watched every speech since the beginning of the Convention

Clinton had a chance to capitalize on the theme of most speakers.

He signed DOMA into law and his Party has repeatedly repudiated this law since Tuesday.

Obama has overturned DADT and Clinton refused to address either of these laws.

[JI7]

39. Clinton has said he was wrong on the issue and agrees with Obama

his job here was about helping Obama on the Economy. he had a specific job to do .

[chollybocker]

2. It was a long speech.

Obama's got this.

[WI_DEM]

3. I'm sorry but , oh good grief.

[JackBeck]

16. DADT and DOMA n/t

[MH1]

70. DADT is dead and DOMA is dying. nt

[JackBeck]

85. Please share with me Clinton's participation in the demise of his own policies? n/t

[scheming daemons]

4. stop it.

Every speech doesn't have to mention every issue.


Stop whining.

[earthside]

17. I agree.

This is whining.

Sheesh.

[JackBeck]

19. Bill Clinton signed into law DADT and DOMA. Obama overturned DADT

and is working on getting rid of DOMA.

It's not whining when a person criticizes a President that ushered in oppressive legislation that marginalized a minority that he promised to help.

[mrmpa]

69. DADT, unfortunately was the............

best Clinton could do, with the Congress before him. If DADT wasn't policy in 2009, Obama with the Congress he faces wouldn't even be able to get DOMA passed.

Did Clinto "refuse" to discuss gay equality, no I don't think you can present that as fact.

[hifiguy]

5. Tonight was "economy" night.

and Clinton demolished Rmoney brick by brick.

[JackBeck]

20. If you watched C-SPAN since 5pm, it wasn't all about economy. n/t

[JaneyVee]

6. He didn't mention climate change either, should I stop worrying?

[randome]

11. Exactly what I was thinking.

[jsmirman]

74. Seriously, you know how we would kill for one mention of Animal Cruelty

I am so pleased that LGBT issues have gotten as much run as they have, and that things have come so far in 2012 - I can hardly believe the progress that has been made.

But could you stop for one moment and think what it's like to be a damn Animal Advocate in this party? Along with curtailing corporate power, it is the great cause of my life - and you don't hear shit about it, ever.

Frankly, Obama's animal and ag policies have pretty much sucked for us.

But I'm getting over it, because I choose him 5 million times over the inhuman assholes from the other party.

For fuck's sake, it's a little hard to listen to when I eat shit for this party every day on my issue and - and, on the other hand, and believe me, I'm *happy* about this - speaker after speaker has told the Repubs to go fuck themselves and treat LGBTers like human fucking beings.

[JackBeck]

23. Please share the equivalent to DADT and DOMA that Clinton signed into law while he was POTUS.

[progressivebydesign]

7. Sigh.. so it begins... "refuses?" So did someone try to FORCE him and he "refused"

or was it that the TOPIC was the economy and nominating the President. Seriously.. "This person didn't mention my particular interest. That speaker didn't say anything about this.. etc. etc. etc. "

Considering pretty much EVERY other speaker mentioned it, it's kind of hard to get every topic into a speech.

Really.. are people tonight just looking to be complainers? Can we just celebrate a wonderful speech by our former President?

[JackBeck]

105. Clinton's speech was great, but he implemented DADT and DOMA

which Obama used a lot of political capital to overturn DADT and his Justice Department has refused to implement certain parts of DOMA.

It's relevant.

[Freddie]

8. He didn't mention women's rights either

(I'm female)
And I'm not in the least offended.

This speech was about the economy and why the Repugs are 100% wrong. He totally hit it out of the park.

[Whovian]

9. Refused?

Was he asked to?

[msongs]

10. refuse is only true if he was told do so and didnt. doh! nt

[SunsetDreams]

13. I think Bill Clinton did what he needed to do

He hit them on the economy as he can credibly do.

I understand the disappointment, and I wish he would have touched on that.
I realize however, that their lies needed to be hit hard on economical policies because they are spending their time trying to hood wink the entire country on making people forget who got us into this disaster in the first place.

[Tx4obama]

14. Times like this make me miss the UNrec button. n/t

[JackBeck]

104. If that's all you have to say, I feel bad that you don't want to engage in a conversation

about why you agree or disagree with what I have to say.

[Tx4obama]

107. I actually typed out a long comment b4 erasing it all and typing what I did above in my 1st comment.

Basically the 'nice part' of what the other comment said was: Let's be happy about what Bill Clinton 'did say' and not be party poopers.

And the rest of what was erased is better left unsaid

[JackBeck]

110. Let's compare credentials before proclaiming someone a party pooper.

Understand, please, that some of us have worked within the party and are speaking form experience, not from frustration or how it looks on C-SPAN.

[jorno67]

15. He didn't mention me either...

and I voted for him twice! I won't do that again...

[JackBeck]

103. I will vote enthusiastically for him again. n/t

[jorno67]

137. I would too! I was just being a bit snarky...

Too bad he can't run again - although I am proud that we have the current President!

[Coexist]

18. Pony check!!

[WilliamPitt]

21. *sigh*

He didn't mention Afghanistan either. Or Iraq. Or the BP spill.

All important, too. This was an economics discourse.

[JackBeck]

44. Will, Clinton signed into law very specific policies that Obama has rejected and fought to overturn.

Clinton, during his almost hour-long speech, talked about may things besides economic issues. In fact, he praised Bush for PEPFAR.

Regardless, the millions of dollars it took to discharge thousands of LGBT people under Clinton's failed DADT isn't an economic issue?

The millions of lost revenue that a state loses that denies LGBT couples the right to marry in a state that denies that equality isn't an economic issue under Clinton's failed DOMA policy?

[LiberalAndProud]

86. It seems to me that it wouldn't be wise for him to bring it up.

Would you have him apologize abjectly for bad legislation, when the crux of his speech was to underline our party's victories? I don't see how he could have made such a statement in a positive way. Egg on his face would not be becoming while speechifying. Except for soothing your feelings, do you think it would have accomplished something important?

[Stinky The Clown]

24. Jack, I'm on your side, but this speech had a very specific purpose

He point by point tore down the Ryan/Rmoney campaign. He didn't talk about a lot of other issues, either.

On edit: to some of the *replies* to your concern, I got this:

[Wednesdays]

25. Mr. Clinton, nowhere do you mention deep sea fishing rights.

[fugop]

34. Oh good GOD!

"How long will this piddling go on?"

[NYC Liberal]

26. This speech was about the economy

There are many issues he didn't raise.

As you said, this issue and others have been addressed by many other speakers.

[mucifer]

27. The speech was about refuting all the lies. That said people here shouldn't be bashing you so much.

It isn't necessary to be nasty.

If the republicans had lied about President Obama's stance on LGBT marriage, it probably would have been mentioned in the speech.

[Ikonoklast]

28. Isn't straining to find something to be outraged over somewhat tiring?

[nolabear]

30. Jack, we can't ONLY be on your team. Sometimes you need to be on ours.

I'll support you to the end. But when you're not getting what you need, please don't negate the importance of me getting what I do.

[GoneOffShore]

33. Excellent!

And no snark intended.

[WilliamPitt]

45. ^^^ This ^^^

[JackBeck]

49. I've always supported Obama, to the point of being called a Quisling on this board.

I fight everyday, in real life, to get Democrats elected to higher office.

Clinton's refusal to acknowledge his mistakes that Obama has had to clean up really irritated me this evening.

If we didn't have to spend political capital to overturn DADT, we might have the DREAM Act.

[eqfan592]

77. Do you really think this was the time for Clinton to do that?

The point of the speech was to do a point by point rebuttal of the republicans attacks on Pres. Obama on the economy and a dismantling of their own plan, as well as highlighting the hate that now permeates the GOP.

Taking time out of that to say "Oh, and by the way, I totally blew it on this other issue here, sorry about that" would almost certainly have derailed the speech and severely limited its impact. Clinton needed to appear to be as awesome as possible for his speech to have the impact it needed, and highlighting a bad mistake would have only lessened that impact.

Please don't take this as me being unsympathetic to the damage Clinton did to the LGBT cause. I'm simply saying that from a politics playing perspective, this was not the time for an apology.

[scheming daemons]

58. Perfect response to the "where's my pony?" crowd

Other speakers, including likely Joe Biden and President Obama, have and will address those issues.


It doesn't need to be addressed by every freaking speaker.

[JackBeck]

89. You don't think it needs to be addressed by the man who signed the policies into law?

When the man who he is nominating has repudiated his policies?

[TreasonousBastard]

31. True, but he did talk about arithmetic.

[randome]

38. But not irrational numbers!

And what about the deadly use of dangling participles? Huh?

[TreasonousBastard]

73. Leave Granmmar out of it!

[LadyHawkAZ]

32. Thank you for your concern

~signed, Someone who was around in the 90's.

[Honeycombe8]

35. You mean someone asked him to and he refused? Or do you mean he just didn't? nt

[randome]

36. It was a long enough speech as given.

I think you would have complained if it stretched into the morning hours to make sure nothing was overlooked.

Obama has the ball rolling on gay rights. We know it and, more importantly, corporate America is realizing it. When major corporations start to see the light, you know the tide has turned.

[JackBeck]

108. Wasn't criticizing Obama.

Just Clinton's refusal to acknowledge that Obama was cleaning-up DADT and DOMA.

[jillan]

37. Omg - he ripped Richie and the liar to shreds, piece by piece -can you please be thankful for that??

There are other issues besides LGBT - and dangit - this is the FIRST convention where equal rights were celebrated.

I'm sorry - but geesh!!!!!!!!!

[ecstatic]

40. Would it have seemed credible if he did bring it up?

Considering past statements and advice he offered to other candidates?

[bluesbassman]

56. That's an excellent point.

Apologizing for his mistake on LGBT issues would have only been perceived as self serving on Clinton's part.

[trailmonkee]

41. would have been nice, but he skipped womens rights as well... eom

[StevieM]

42. He also didn't mention killing Osama Bin Laden. It was a speech about the economy.

And Bill Clinton was the first president to treat gays and lesbians with respect. Until he came along we never had a president who openly said that there was nothing wrong with being gay.

Before DADT there was an outright ban on gays in the military. Clinton tried to repeal it but didn't have the support in Congress...or the public at that point. DADT was a compromise and one that laid the groundwork IMO for an eventual full-repeal.

[Iggo]

43. Neglected? Yep. Refused? Come on.

[JackBeck]

53. It's interrelated, Pri. The major Dem theme of this Convention has been inclusion.

To have someone like Clinton overlook the over-arching theme of this Convention so far has been a major error, especially when you have someone who has as big as a bully pulpit that Clinton does.

Clinton could have righted A LOT of wrongs this evening, while tipping his hat to Obama but he didn't.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

59. i disagree. i think it would have been strange for him to say he supports obama in tearing down

the laws he himself signed. it would have come off as incoherent.

[JackBeck]

91. Politicians always love political expedience.

It would have served him well after all these years to apologize.

Clinton can hide behind his wife and daughter, but he really needs to give us a full-throated apology, instead of blaming others for his votes.

[stevenleser]

116. I think the key Jack is that the speech was not about him, it was about Obama and his detractors.

Clinton can say all he wants about his mistakes on DADT, DOMA and various other issues on his own time. The convention where the goal is to give momentum to Obama is not about Clinton's conscience about his own decisions.

[JackBeck]

118. But he DIDN'T say anything about his mistakes, which would have elevated Obama even more.

Obama spent a lot of political capital to overturn DADT, but just about every convention speaker mentioned it, except Clinton.

A bigger man would own up to his mistakes and move on.

[stevenleser]

124. And he can do that on his own time. That was not his job here. nt

[JackBeck]

127. Why did he not match all of the may speakers before hime that uplifted LGBT equality?

And how are LGBT issues not related to the economy?

[SoapBox]

47. Our home is LGBT...

and we didn't even notice.

Now, we would say that the primary goal is to reelect Prez O...OR, if you prefer, keep the CREEPS out.

Prez O has done more (DADT) and the sheer inclusion in the platform for marriage equality, speak plenty for us right now.

This is not to discount what you may have hoped for but...at this time...and to night...we are satisfied.

[NashvilleLefty]

48. He didn't mention women's issues, either.

Or veterans' issues. As a matter of fact, he didn't mention any social issues that I can remember - just the economy.

So don't feel alone or picked-on.

[eqfan592]

84. "As a matter of fact, he didn't mention any social issues..."

By George your right! Why that dirty, rotten son-of-a......

[JackBeck]

120. As President, Bill Clinton signed into law DADT and DOMA. n/t

[RBInMaine]

50. Kindly check your purist attitude at the door. There actually are some other important issues.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

51. Trashing this thread!!!

[oxymoron]

52. Sorry, but this gay man loved his speech

Would you like an invite? Seriously, he was supporting Obama on the economy. You really want him to make an issue of LGBT equality. At some point, our side needs to relax see the big picture. I just don't get the expectation that we would get red meat. The convention speeches are all
about generalities.

[JackBeck]

67. Please explain to me how LGBT equality is not about the economy.

Clinton signed into law DADT, which forced our government to spend millions of dollars to investigate, prosecute and dismiss thousands of LGBT military members. Obama overturned Clinton's law.

Clinton signed into law DOMA. The Obama administration's Justice Department refuses to uphold this legislation. All states that have embraced marriage equality have seen an increase in revenues.

[Honeycombe8]

83. Monetarily negligible. Have you ever made the argument that gay rights is good for the economy?

That might be true, but it's not one of the good arguments.

This was a speech blasting the RNC, Romney, Ryan lies, comparing current economy with the one he faced, Obama's economic achievements (incl health care), Obama's attempts to work with the Republicans.

It was not, and he did not mention, gay rights, immigration, women's rights, climate change/global warming. All of those things involve economics peripherally, but that's not the primary reason for supporting those issues.

Clearly, other speakers were slated to discuss those other issues repeatedly.

[Prism]

54. I'm sorry about the responses you're getting for this

Clinton is not my favorite politician by any means, precisely for the reasons you cite.

However, his appearance served a specific purpose, and there's no denying he is a charismatic and effective communicator who did his job incredibly well tonight.

Some of these responses, though. Sigh. Reminds me of the DOMA and DADT debacles. Sometimes on DU, people really do reveal just how little they care about equality. If President Obama were against LGBT rights, they'd find a way to be fine with that, too.

It is what it is.

[scheming daemons]

55. Jack's attempt to crap on Clinton's speech with a non sequitir attack is getting the responses...

...it deserves.


This thread has ZERO recs for a freaking reason.

[Prism]

57. Yeah. Exhibit A. n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

60. unsurprising from that particular exhibit.

[scheming daemons]

61. YOU couldn't even bring yourself to rec Jack's thread

That's how ridiculous you realize this thread is.

[sabrina 1]

81. I agree with Prism. While I don't agree that that speech was the place for Clinton to apologize for

his own policies, some of the responses in this thread bring back some really unpleasant memories even using the same language, referring to people's Civil Rights as 'ponies' again? Ugh, I thought this had been dealt with, but I guess it just went uncover.

Very revealing thread.

To Jack, I understand how you feel, but the speech was meant to destroy the Republican lies on the economy and Clinton did a masterful job of doing so.

If you noticed, he was very focused on Economics, trashing the distortions of the Republicans, and to be honest, had he tried to include other issues, the momentum would have been lost.

However, I am sorry about some of the responses in this thread, but sometimes it's good to know where people really stand. Back to the old days when the Third Wayers were all over the internet telling Women and Gays and other minorities how unimportant their 'single issues' their 'ponies' a stupid word btw, are.

The good thing is they have not succeeded in pushing minorities out of the party. Clearly the Party learned what bad strategy that was. Because without those 'single issue voters' as they like to call them, there would be no Democratic Party. And that is why equality has been a main theme of this Convention.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

62. SO true (about how these convos reveal how little people care about equality)

[scheming daemons]

63. Can't bring yourself to rec the thread either, eh?

Jack tried to shit on Clinton's speech.


Nobody... including YOU... is reccing his thread.


Speaks volumes.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

64. no it doesn't. there is much ground between shitting on a thread

and reccing a thread. there are many threads i participate in that i dont rec.

[Kurovski]

134. +1 (nt)

[Prism]

68. Because I don't share his sentiment.

I can disagree with his feelings without shitting all over them.

It's called adulthood. It's fun occasionally.

[NCTraveler]

139. Very well and simply put. nt.

[JackBeck]

76. I'm not shitting on Clinton's speech. I'm actually a big fan. But hate some of his policies.

Especially DADT, which Obama overturned and DOMA, which his Justice Department refuses to enforce.

Do you think I need recs? Please.

The laws that I help pass in NJ are all the solace that I need. Knowing that I actually make change happen in real life is the most rewarding.

[shireen]

93. the speech was not about Clinton's legacy, it was about Obama's re-election.

While i appreciate your point of view, i respectfully disagree with your objections. Clinton was there to defend Obama's policies, particularly against the lies told at the RNC convention and Romney campaign. It was targeted to a specific audience: people who have not decided, the so-called "independents."

Let's focus on the future. Obama has been advancing civil rights for the GLBT community. Let's get him re-elected to achieve full equality.

[JackBeck]

94. Part of Obama's legacy is repudiating some of Clinton's policies.

Specifically, overturning DADT and not enforcing DOMA.

[Prism]

66. Deep sea fishing. Good grief. n/t

[TeamPooka]

92. everyone can't have their primary issue discussed all the time.

I want to legalize pot and keep people from going to jail for no reason and he didn't say anything about that but I'm not whining about it.

[bluesbassman]

71. How in the world do you get DUers not caring about equality from this thread?

Clinton did exactly what he was supposed to do and nailed the repugs to the wall. People have said that over and over on this thread, but NOBODY has dissed LGBT issues.

Your post is more divisive than any response to the OP.

[Prism]

75. Experience

Some of the names in this thread have justified a lot of anti-LGBT things done by Democrats in the past. The more jerkish the response here, the more likely they've been horrid to LGBTers in the past.

Like I said, it's just DU. I'm kind of numb to it by now. Been watching this shit for years.

[bluesbassman]

87. Well now you're getting into broadbrush and speculation.

I thought we were talking about the posts in this thread.

[Prism]

97. I'm not speculating, actually.

I speak to my direct experiences with the sentiments expressed by some in this thread. I'm not going to call out. There's no point. But, yeah, people sometimes suck when it comes to LGBTer's having an opinion about our issues.

[bluesbassman]

102. I understand, and in your last statement, I am in agreement with you...

Also, I not only support your right to voice your opinions, but the issues you face as well. Sometimes it's just wise to pick our battles and this thread just seemed to be tilting at the wrong windmill.

Be well and happy my friend.

[jsmirman]

95. And then, some people just think very little of this thread

Michelle Obama rang out the issue with about the cleanest note you could have hoped for.

When you hear a SINGLE FUCKING DEMOCRAT say that gestation crates make us a less moral society and that poisoning other humans with shit lagoons and blowing up their homes with fracking is anti-American, get back to me.

For some of us who never have our issues even get taken out for a lunch date, sometimes a post like this makes me want to scream.

[Prism]

98. Some LGBT people still have a visceral reaction to Bill Clinton.

It is what it is. I thought he did a very good job with his speech. I disagree with Jack.

But I'm not going to sit here and scream at him about it and compare equality and civil rights to deep sea fishing.

Because I'm not, you know, a jerk.

[JackBeck]

100. Bill Clinton had a chance to apologize this evening for DADT and DOMA but he didn't.

In four years, when Chris Christie runs for higher office, I guarantee you he will apologize for his veto in NJ, since (whisper) he supports marriage equality. Bill Clinton, unlike the vast majority of the convention speakers over the past two days, couldn't even muster a wink to marriage equality.

It's politics. It's dirty. Clinton had a chance to right a wrong tonight.

He didn't.

And yet some of the Clinton apologists around here who give him a pass for the political climate he faced when callously signing into law DADT and DOMA can't even give Obama the benefit of the doubt over the political capital he spent while overturning DADT.

[NYC Liberal]

106. WHY would he use THIS speech, a speech about voting for Barack Obama,

to talk about and apologize for something he did in office almost 20 years ago? That would be, without a doubt, one of the stupidest things he could have done tonight.

[JackBeck]

111. Because every speech up to this moment was lifting up all of Obama's accomplishments.

Does overturning DADT not count?

[NYC Liberal]

114. *This* speech was about the economy. The whole thing.

Go watch it again or read the transcript.

[JackBeck]

117. What does praising Bush's PEPFAR have to do with the economy?

[NYC Liberal]

119. What does talking about something he did 20 years ago have to do with making the case

for re-electing Obama?

You wanted Clinton to make this speech all about him. Thankfully he didn't do that.

[JackBeck]

123. Obama has been working to over-turn the anti-gay policies that Clinton implemented.

Over the past two days, the majority of the Democratic speakers have been quite proud of their LGBT accomplishments.

Clinton was one of the very few to even mention the LGBT community.

It makes him look out of touch on social issues.

[NYC Liberal]

126. He wasn't discussing social issues.

Neither was Elizabeth Warren, by the way.

If his speech had been about social issues, or a wide range of issues in different areas, and he failed to mention it then yes I would agree with you.

[JackBeck]

130. Maybe I'm watching a different convention than you are.

Marriage equality and LGBT equality is integrated in almost everyone's speech if you watch C-SPAN.

Again, why would he mention Bush's PEPFAR, among other off-script riffs?

[NYC Liberal]

132. We're not talking about "everyone's speech"

We are talking about Bill Clinton's speech, which was focused on the economy. There are many other imporant issues he didn't speak about.

[JackBeck]

133. Once again, if you are following the entire convention

you'd understand the momentum the speeches are built upon.

[NYC Liberal]

136. And why have you not mentioned any of the other numerous important issues he didn't speak about?

[jsmirman]

101. That, I can understand

but after that kind of night at the convention, I don't know, I might have skipped posting this thread.

I hope you can understand the frustration, though, of people whose issues get no attention whatsoever. It can be like a starving man listening to someone complain that the dessert souffle was a little dry.

[NCTraveler]

140. If one were to compare the mentioning of off shore fishing in a speech...

to be as important as mentioning LGBT rights, that person would not be caring about equality.

[Raine]

65. Geesh he couldn't speak all night, many many others

covered social issues. Clinton is an expert on the economy. Repugs have used the economy to beat up on Obama, Clinton was right to focus on the economy.

[ohheckyeah]

72. That would have been a whole different speech.

His job tonight was basically to debunk the Republican charges against Obama on the economy. It's that simple.

[jberryhill]

78. We're you around when they were passed?

It was DADT or an outright ban.

It was DOMA or a Constitutional amendment.

Both were better than the alternative.

[JackBeck]

79. What does it take for a Constitutional Amendment? And prove that it was possible. n/t

[jberryhill]

88. It takes a bunch of motivated religious nutballs

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

[WeekendWarrior]

80. SERIOUSLY?

THAT'S what you got out of the speech?

Seriously?

He didn't address it because he didn't NEED to. His job was to point out to independent voters how the Democrats and Obama have made the economy stronger. That was the focus of his speech.

"Arithmetic" remember? That's what the speech was about. And refuting every single attack the GOP made against Obama at the RNC convention.

Clinton did his job brilliantly.

[fadedrose]

82. Those were different times - a black man couldn't be elected president

so why should it have been different with the gays getting acceptance?

Same with mixed marriages...

I'm waiting for the time a Unitarian or an Athiest could be elected . . . probably not in my lifetime.

[dsc]

90. It was an omission but hardly the only one

Warren for instance didn't either. That said some of the comments in this thread are out of line. the LGBT community is the last group in the country the majority of whom can be discriminated against simply for being who they are. In all but 6 states we can't marry. In a majority of states we can be fired for simply being gay. A person born when Lawerence vs Texas was handed down would be in third grade today.

[Retrograde]

96. If he addressed every topic that is important to Democrats

he'd still be talking tomorrow!

[JackBeck]

99. If you've been paying attention since the beginning of the convention

there's been a pretty specific theme, and that includes the LGBT community.

It's unfortunate that Bill Clinton couldn't acknowledge that two of his failed policies, DADT and DOMA, are currently being dismantled by Democrats who are moving our equality forward.

[Douglas Carpenter]

109. and not one word about corporal punishment in our schools, single-payer universal healthcare, rein-

stating the fairness doctrine, mandating anti-bullying education in schools and work places, bringing back the Glass–Steagall Act, repealing Taft-Hartley, expanding mass transit, harnessing wind energy, legalizaing marijuana, increasing the minimum wage, promoting stem cell research, finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease or denouncing Islamaphobia or striving for a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Arab world.

[MrScorpio]

112. Between the economy & LGBT inequality, what did the RNC try hammer home most against PBO last week?

How many lies did the RNC tell against the President on LGBT inequality did they tell that had to be refuted?

Clinton was up there defending the President against Republican lies instead of defending himself against the mistakes his own administration made on LGBT issues.

His speech on the economy and the debt, welfare reform, Obama care, Medicare and Medicaid and how the GOP is lying about President Obama was long enough as it was, besides adding your desire to have him derail the subject matter of his speech to address the issues that you wanted addressed.

Would you have liked him to talk about his own mistakes to your satisfaction, even if that would have sent his entire speech into a tangent that was off subject completely?

[ibegurpard]

113. apparently

[JackBeck]

115. Clinton went into many tangents during his speech.

What I find fascinating is how liberals don't understand how marriage inequality and ENDA don't have anything to do with the economy.

Is your point that DADT and DOMA have no effect on the economy?

What is your interpretation on Clinton's anti-LGBT policies on the economy?

[MrScorpio]

129. The speech was not supposed to about what Clinton did to the LGBT community

And yeah, I agree, he should explain himself. But, unlike the RNC speeches, where the speakers tooted their own horns. Clinton stuck with the theme of promoting President Obama's reelection as the main focus.

But tonight, the goal was clear… Go to war against the GOP's lies against President Obama. THAT was the enemy.

How would a Clinton mea culpa on LGBT issues assist the case for the return of the President to a national audience? I don't see it.

[JackBeck]

131. The goal of the convention is to promote Obama's accomplishments.

Which includes his LGBT advocacy, despite the obstacles that Clinton put in his way.

Unfortunately that includes undoing a carp load of policies that Clinton signed into law.

In all due respect, suck up you hetero privilege.

[MrScorpio]

135. This has nothing to do with hetero privilege, it has to do with simple arithmetic.

He said as much, himself.

Instead, Clinton said absolutely nothing about social issues.

The focus was on Obama, not about himself. I'm sorry that you're disappointed in direction of his presentation.

[BarackTheVote]

121. Seems to me

that Clinton was being presented as a model of a fiscally-responsible democrat, someone who achieved the impossible in balancing the budget while also being compassionate and reigning over a roaring economy--and then watching all of that get torn down by the Shrub in eight years. This is the mythologized Clinton who made America great, for many the last president independents uniquely identify with prosperity. In short, this is the mythologized Clinton for the benefit of the independents who still greatly approve of his economic prowess... "If Clinton thinks things are okay, and... yeah, Bush DID start that mess... so maybe... Obama/Clinton is better than Bush/Romney." Seriously, anything that derailed that message would have been to our detriment.

Showmanship. Narrative. Focus. That's what this was about.

[donheld]

122. You are not telling the truth.

He may not have mentioned LGBT issues, but you cannot prove he refused anything and you know it.
This Gay man says you need to get a life.

[JackBeck]

125. I never tell a lie. Why are you supporting a President that signed into law DADT and DOMA?

[donheld]

141. I did not show support for anyone. I called you a liar.

because you lied.

[mfcorey1]

128. Nit picking. nt

[11 Bravo]

138. Fucker didn't condemn kiddie porn or slavery either. He's DEAD to me!