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I'm hearing this on the left and the right. The right says, "He's catering to his base." Some on the left are saying, "He's throwing a bone to his base so we can shut up. Additionally, it's politically advantageous so we can spend money on his campaign for 2012 , and/or he's trying to divert the news to this and away from Wisconsin."
I had to sit there and go what the hell am I hearing. I mean, I understand there are critics. However, when I hear arguments as the above---I have to wonder if these are critics, perpetual pessimists, or people who just downright hate our President.
This is not a position...that I can find to be politically advantageous for any politician be it Dem or Republican. Least of all Republican. This nation is way too limited for that. Let's break down the arguments proposed by the left whom do not trust his position. I will ignore the right because I find that argument says it all. They always think all his motivations make him weak and catering to his base. Some on the left think he's just as weak.
But let's start with no.1: "He's throwing a bone to his base so we can shut up." <---How? Most people were impressed and for many who were complaining they were surprisingly impressed with his success with DADT. Not to mention his extension of medical rights to gay couples or even the Matthew Shepherd bill. All in all, I don't see this move on DOMA as really a bone. It's more of a Woah. I'm a strong advocate for gay rights and I was willing to give him another term to get DOMA out of he way, even though he said that he planned on getting DOMA and DADT repealed during his term. This is not a bone. This goes above and beyond a bone---considering the political climate, considering his own stance in the nation and what's going on in the nation at the moment.
Point no.2: "It's politically and financially advantageous to pander to us in this way." <---Yeah right! We are the Democratic base as a whole. Many Democrats are not 100% open-minded. DU or other left-wing blog sites who have members are not on board with DOMA. DOMA is still a polarizing issue. That is without a doubt. There are many Dems who do not believe gays should be married. I know many a people who think like that----they even reject civil unions. But they vote only Dem. So to say that this is in some way politically advantageous I wonder for who? I find it to be a political risk that he took without really much prodding. <---Why do I say this. I say this because for 2 years the President and DOJ went along fine and dandy (even while they had protests from LGBT groups and others) to defend DOMA, fully, in court. So for him to make this move is a bit wow. And I found it surprising. Yes, I'm sure many in the LGBT community will support him and maybe some reluctant DUers here. However, I think this could lead to a lot of WTF's by other Dems. Take for instance what happened on HP. Many people who were like---"This is great news for gay rights, but do you have to show a picture of two men kissing. Some of us are not ready for that." Direct quote from several posts on HP. To the point where a sort of flame war erupted. And it was a good number of people saying that. Sure they are not a reflection of the whole base, but neither is DU. So I find this to be fairly risky position to take politically and I appreciate that. That shows great courage.
But not only the act shows great courage. I respect anyone who does or shows two things our President did. First, he put his own personal opinion on the back-burner and looked at this issue on a national level, on a political and civil rights level to the people of the nation who are part of the LGBT. Many of us put a lot of us praise dead Presidents for this. For instance Lincoln who wasn't really all about Blacks being free but realized that this was just not sustainable in our nation and he was being prophetic. He put away his own personal bias and focused on the needs of the nation and it's future. We had people like JFK who wasn't really up for a battle for civil rights either---he ended up risking his life (some believe) and really took a political risk by supporting it in the end. So I really do appreciate anyone with the foresight and vision to look beyond their own prejudices and do the job they were hired to do.
I for instance, consider myself to be both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice----or in essence Pro-Choice (since some women who are Pro-Choice think like this). Whenever I meet friends who are pregnant and aren't sure about having the child. I never ever push an abortion. I'm against it. I advocate against it within my close relationships. However, as a woman--especially a Black woman (minority womens suffrage in regards to reproductive rights is something not many people know or talk about. It's significantly different than non-minority women), I thoroughly believe that women should have the right and the choice. Although I am personally against it and I doubt I would have an abortion even if my life was at risk. I do believe women should have the right to choose what they want to do with their bodies. Something many minority women were denied in America during the 40s-80s (this is not in relation to abortion).
The second thing I appreciate is that the President proves once again he's a man and he's human. He, and this is something I loved about Malcolm X, admit to evolve in their beliefs. To realize that growth and evolution is a constant struggle and that sometimes our beliefs may not be the right way of thinking. He admits in effect, that he is wrong and he's dealing with it. However, all I have heard is that he's a homophobe. He actually doesn't like LGBT but wants their money. This is commendable, I think. My mum even recognize that the church did a doozy on her and she has spent years working through her issues on homosexuals. She was thrust into the world due to my close friend who's like my brother and her son who happens to be gay. And his partner who are now family. She's far older from Obama and it took her a while, and she does have her moments of relapse, but she's definitely move forward. I don't expect my President to share every belief as me, especially personal things. However, I appreciate that he's taking steps to grow and he has grown. And for that I respect him greatly.
Many of us on DU must have our own prejudices and have had our moments of prejudice or bigotry; and many of us have worked passed them or try to work past them. I'm very put off that so many people are marginalizing his struggle. I would give him the benefit of the doubt instead of mocking his own journey. However, I've seen more so the latter than the former. In any event, it shows great courage from what I could see.
As for the last, "I suspect he's diverting the news on Wisconsin." Why and how is he supposed to do that? I have to wonder about people's attention span to even suggest this. I mean really. Come on now. Because he says this now, it must be some sort of weird conspiracy theory to stop the news on Wisconsin? How is that? I mean the topics are two different things. It's on a national level and not just Wisconsin and yet...he's trying to divert people's attention. I dunno. I just dunno.
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I believe many people in his base will be happy with this move. And I believe the more active forum/blogger leftist followers will be supportive of this. However, this is not really something that will pull independents in a large number to his side. And they are the ones who tip us over to winning the Presidential seat. I think there are some in the Democratic base---ie whole nation who do not live on political websites who may not support this. Especially if Prop 8 counts for anything. And we all know the Republicans are against it.
I'm trying to see how this is a win for him politically or him even throwing us a bone.
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