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Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Obama Opposes California Marriage Ban

posted by on July 1 at 11:42 AM

Quietly so far—and only, as far as anyone can tell, in one letter to a California gay rights group.

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1

Throw me under that bus baby!

... just don't park it there when the elections over, k?

Posted by UNPAID BLOGGER | July 1, 2008 12:03 PM
2

i was stopped at olive and denny, next to a convertible. some flamboyant guys were crossing in front of us. i heard the driver in the car next to me say, "fucking transvestite mary faggots..." i shook my head, and his passenger seemed embarrassed. this on capital hill? there still is a long way to go.

Posted by a non | July 1, 2008 12:10 PM
3

I've noticed that vanity candidates like Nader and Kucinich tend to polarize the country in the process of losing. When the dust settles, the center of gravity has moved to the right, in spite of their leftivism. When Obama wins, the center of gravity will have moved left, in spite of his centrism.

Posted by elenchos | July 1, 2008 12:14 PM
4

See, he worded it carefully. I think the most important part is, "fully equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples under both state and federal law." He has always been for that and for civil unions, it's just the "marriage" part he doesn't totally agree with. But at least he believes in giving them the same rights and benefits, no matter what you call it. That's why he opposes the ban, because it would take those rights and benefits away. I agree that it should be called marriage just like straight marriages, but I think this is a small price to pay in getting equal rights and benefits. We can worry about it being called marriage later and let Obama turn the rest of our country around.

Posted by Scottie Yahtzee | July 1, 2008 12:31 PM
5

Obama is playing it safe. He will continue to play it safe. His campaign is actually working on trying to win deep South states like Georgia and Louisiana, which is almost amazing.

He has already won over the people who want changes made. Now he needs to win over people who are afraid of too much change. You can post a hundred of these stories a day and his supporters will still vote for him. He needs those grumpy Fox News watching people sitting in their armchairs. Quit expecting him to wave a rainbow flag on national television.

Posted by JC | July 1, 2008 12:42 PM
6

Told you.

In the end, the only choice that will preserve for states the right to end the miscegenationgender-limiting marriage laws is President Obama.

Not Senator "I Get Angry At People Who Refuse To Divorce Their Crippled Wife And Leave Her At Home With Two Daughters While I Marry A Beer Baroness" McSame.

Posted by Will in Seattle | July 1, 2008 1:08 PM
7

(dang, no strikethru tags, huh?)

@5 for the win.

Posted by Will in Seattle | July 1, 2008 1:09 PM
8

Have you noticed...?


He's black

Posted by Geraldine Ferraro | July 1, 2008 2:16 PM
9

Obama Nation = abomination

Posted by crazy idiot play with words | July 1, 2008 2:21 PM
10

Soon you shall have no rights under der Fuhrer - then you shall cease with the complaining!

Posted by Fuhrer McCain Reelection Camp | July 1, 2008 2:42 PM
11

elenchos@3, do you remember the 1992 election? Clinton ran as a moderate with vaguely progressive language about hope and change, then governed center-right. Gay rights were the first part of the progressive agenda that he abandoned.

I like Obama and am hoping for the best, but why shouldn't I expect him to be Bill Clinton v. 2.0?

Posted by Cascadian | July 1, 2008 3:09 PM
12

Get the government out of doing religious rituals.

Which is what "marriage" is.

Give government interpersonal unions a different name.

We don't call getting a birth certificate "baptism" or getting an SSN "first communion" or registering to vote "confirmation" or running for office "holy orders". So, don't call interpersonal unions "marriage".

(Yes, I was raised an Catholic, so what.)

Posted by K | July 1, 2008 3:24 PM
13

Um, he also said the same thing in a statement he issued the day the California Supreme Court handed down its ruling. Wouldn't hurt you to pay attention, Eli.

Posted by jk | July 2, 2008 8:35 PM

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