with all due respect for the different people involved, i want to raise this issue:

[Mothdust]

I heard this afternoon on BBC America radio, that "millions of black Christians are conflicted and will not vote for Obama because of gay marriage". That issue wasn't really as strong in 2008 as it is now. How do we get these Christians we depended upon last time to get over their prejudices and vote for Obama and Democratic? Also I think It's significant that I heard this on BBC ?

[factsarenotfair]

1. Your concern is noted. n/t

.

[defacto7]

2. It's new to me.

Is there more information... links? I'd love to be informed.

[oldhippydude]

4. actually it's older black men...

never heard of Black Male?

[oldhippydude]

3. very noted

[liberal_at_heart]

5. the majority of black and Hispanic voters vote democratic because

it is in their best interest economically. The majority of Hispanics are Catholic but also vote democratic. I don't think this is as big a problem as the media makes it out to be. We certainly can't take their votes for granted but right now most of them vote democratic for economic reasons.

[ohheckyeah]

6. With all due respect...

I think whoever said that was full of shit. JMHO

[Mothdust]

17. then you should talk to b.b.c. america radio, because i quoted what i heard exactly.

I hope you don't mean to say that I am full of shit?

[BainsBane]

7. There are some

But I seriously doubt that millions feel that way.

[pointsoflight]

8. LOL, total B.S.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. Your Concern Is Duly Noted.Thank You For Your Input./nt

[EmeraldCityGrl]

10. I nominate the OP the designated worrier on this one. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

11. There are thousands of black churches pushing this wedge issue...

and I understand there is substantial under the table money promoting it, but at the end of the day, African Americans will break with the Democrats.

[ismnotwasm]

12. I heard different

"No one has the right to justify their prejudice using the bible" ---a Gay, married, black pastor

Black folk are no more of a cookie cutter mentality than white folk.

[JDPriestly]

13. I read that that is not the problem that people expected it to be.

And why should it be?

Women and racial minorities know who is on their side and understand the importance of being treated with respect and given opportunities and equal rights.

I have been out talking to voters, mostly minority voters. No one has mentioned this issue. Does not seem to be a problem at all.

Nothing to worry about. Republicans wish this were a problem. It just is not.

[Son of Gob]

14. .

[renate]

15. I remember that from 2008

Here's one perspective:

Seven in 10 African Americans who went to the polls voted yes on Proposition 8, the ballot measure overruling a state Supreme Court judgment that legalized same-sex marriage and brought 18,000 gay and lesbian couples to Golden State courthouses in the past six months.

Similar measures passed easily in Florida and Arizona. It was closer in California, but no ethnic group anywhere rejected the sanctioning of same-sex unions as emphatically as the state's black voters, according to exit polls. Fifty-three percent of Latinos also backed Proposition 8, overcoming the bare majority of white Californians who voted to let the court ruling stand.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/06/AR2008110603880.html

So, that was indeed what we all heard after the 2008 election. However:

Exit polls found that 70 percent of black voters backed Prop. 8 on Nov. 4, even as they overwhelmingly supported Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who opposed the same-sex marriage ban.
But an analysis of precinct-level voting data on Prop. 8 from Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco counties, which are home to nearly two-thirds of California's black voters, suggested that African American support for Prop. 8 was more likely about 58 percent.
That support among blacks is still well above the 52 percent Prop. 8 received from all voters in the Nov. 4 election. Much of that can be attributed to the strong religious tradition in the black community, where 57 percent of African American voters attend church at least once a week, compared with 42 percent of Californians overall.
"The study debunks the myth that African Americans overwhelmingly and disproportionately supported Proposition 8," Andrea Shorter, director of And Marriage for All, said in a statement. "But we clearly have work to do with, within and for African American communities, particularly the black church."

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Black-support-for-Prop-8-called-exaggeration-3177138.php#ixzz2AO3PuAnn

Fifty-eight percent is still pretty high, and this indicates to me that the OP is not a concern troll. But it wasn't as bad as we were originally told in 2008.

[Mothdust]

18. it is the cal. prop 8 issue

That caused me to "tune in" to what b.b.c. said, and feel concern. My concern is real because my marriage rights were removed by prop 8. President Obama has voiced support for marriage equality. So I hope you are right and we are not damaged by this. Thank you for affirming that I am not a troll.

[ChazII]

16. For what it's worth

http://newsone.com/2040034/black-christians-against-obama/

[Mothdust]

20. thanks for this informative article

It can be hard to swallow the truth of how some people feel/believe.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. Isn't Romney polling at Zero Percent in the AA Community?

Yes, Zero percent.

Hard for Obama to do much better than those numbers.

[Mothdust]

21. that's not the point

Chaz II 's article above (post 16) affirms there are church leaders telling followers to stay away from the polls.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. I think it'll be okay.

And he's doing the right thing by standing up for marriage equality. If that means he loses a couple votes here and there, so be it. I suspect he's gaining far more by showing moral and leadership courage on this. I do know he has invigorated many fairness-minded Americans by doing what no previous president has had the guts to do.

So no way am I going to criticize him, or even express "concern" over him doing the right thing. He is LEADING. That's what leaders do.

[davidn3600]

23. The only place this seemed to be somewhat showing up was in NC

Black voter enthusiasm is down somewhat in that state and many blame it on the gay marriage issue. If you remember the state recently voted to ban gay marriage overwhelmingly, and then the very next day Obama says he favors gay marriage. So some say that might have hurt him a bit.

I've not seen this show up in other states though. Although I dont know if any pollster really looked into it much.

[unc70]

24. Black enthusiasm is not down in NC -- check our early voting

Yes there are a few black clergy just as anti-gay and filled with hate as their white or hispanic brethren. A few blacks in NC will vote for Romney and other Republicans. If anything, that small percentage might be smaller this year in NC because of the huge voter registration gains for Dems and particularly for black dems.

[leeroysphitz]

25. How do we get these Christians to get over their prejudices? I don't know. How do you get

klan members to vote for African Americans?

[madokie]

26. I doubt seriously if that is true

I'd bet not more that a hand full of African Americans will vote for rMoney or any puke for that matter. Whether it be for the house or the senate. Anyone with at least two brain cells to rub together knows where the two candidates stand on most issues.
Look at the pictures of the turn out for Obama compared to the turnout for robme and lyan ryan for a clue

[slampoet]

27. So some twit on the BBC who doesn't have any American Black friends says this .....

...and you are so concerned that you posted this on a website so that you could ask a bunch of mostly white strangers about this.


It is amazing how removed people get from any contact with Black American neighbors and still come away with thinking they have the truth.