Vice President Joe Biden raised plenty of political eyebrows with his remarks on marriage equality talking to David Gregory on NBC's Meet the Press. Today, MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell got the chance to get a reaction on the Vice President's comments from Obama-Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter.
Hear her answers in the video above, and take a look at our poll on the President's stance on marriage equality.
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There just isn't enough payoff in votes to be garnered for Obama to make a change of policy on his stance on "marriage equality" for gays and lesbians. The best of the demographic studies have only 3.5% of the adult population indentifying as being gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual in the U.S. and an infantisimal number of transgendered.
The larger black minority of voters are as a group hostile to "marriage equality", as are the even larger Hispanic voters, and Obama has no intention of weakening his position with these voters in order to keep some of the small group of gay and lesbian adults from sitting out the election.
Infantisimal? Tiny as an infant? You mean "infinitesimal", right?
The larger black minority of voters are as a group hostile to "marriage equality"
The larger white community in the Southern States were - as a group - hostile to equal rights for black people. Does this justify treating a minority group like inferior beings?
Obama has no intention of weakening his position with these voters in order to keep some of the small group of gay and lesbian adults from sitting out the election.
You seem to think that only LGBT people bother about LGBT rights. That's not the case. Most lefties - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity - care about LGBT rights, because they support equal rights in general and on principle. And a lot of these lefties won't vote for Obama if he doesn't come out in favour of marriage equality.
No, I mean't INFANTisimal, as being incapable of reason.
Yes, I see you point. Let's just not assume it's only LGBT voters who care about civil rights across the board, including me, a straight person.
This President has run circles around other presidents in this area of civil rights for the LGBT. If he's still struggling with the word "marriage" in the equation, then I respect his right to be as human as the rest of us who are thoughtful enough to look at both sides of an issue and honest about their resistance to change. I'd much rather have a critical thinker in office than someone who just reads from a playbook.
I think we should also look to why the many presidents who've done nothing to help this particular community are not being held to the same standard as this president. Food for thought.
@ Unity7:
who are thoughtful enough to look at both sides of an issue [...] I'd much rather have a critical thinker in office than someone who just reads from a playbook.
Considering the option of withholding equal rights is neither thoughtful nor critical thinking. It's totally dumb and inexcusable!
Does anyone think that a representative president would not sign a marriage equality bill if it landed on his desk.
He represents the American people.
The fact that this is news? Biden has been saying the same thing for years. This is not new, it is even less news worthy.
No kidding about newsworthy. It seems that any story with the word "sex" in it is going to cause a media frenzy. Pathetic.
It seems that any story with the word "sex" in it is going to cause a media frenzy.
The issue of same-sex marriage doesn't cause media frenzy because of the word "sex", but because there's a lack of freedom in the so-called "land of the free".
The news is hot with comments about Barack Obama’s stance on gay marriage. He has said he supports civil unions, but is evolving on gay marriage. I too am evolving on gay marriage and I would like to take a moment to explain. I am 55 years old, African American and female. I was raised in a strong church tradition not unlike that of Trinity United, where BO attended. If you have ever been to a Black church service you know it is emotional and stirring experience. We feel the Spirit, so the Gospel teachings are easy for us to digest, because we can feel the truth and rightness of it in our hearts. The bible makes clear statements about homosexuality, but mature Christians understand the deeper Gospel of God's Love through Jesus Christ; however the Word is the Word, so we struggle. I have a gay son and I am in favor of certain gay rights and I deplore discrimination, but I still struggle when it comes to Gay marriage. I think the President does too. Once you begin to believe in Christ, and become a Christian that faith statement becomes a part of who you are. It's not just the crazies or lip service, we FEEL, the presence of God in our lives and we seek to honor it, so there is a struggle between the law (the Word), and Love (the forgiveness and blessing of Christ Jesus). Love tells us that we cannot exclude our gay children and brother and sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends from God’s Love. They too must be and are part of God's Kingdom, and are no different from the rest of us who have problems with Biblically acceptable behavior; like sex outside of marriage, lying, cheating, stealing, and coveting, but we center on gay behavior as the ultimate sin, when the Bible teaches, sin is sin ,and all have fallen short. So I understand what President Obama means when he says he struggles. Many feel that he is just playing politics and some don't believe that he actually even believes in God (Bill Maher). They think he's too intelligent to believe in those fables, but I believe he feels it, from the pew of his church, he has felt it, and his life experience confirms that God is real, just by his own accomplishments which are truly nothing less than miraculous. Oh yes he feels it. I, like BO, am still evolving to the higher ground of God's Love for all of his children, without judgment and conditioned only on faith in Jesus Christ, based only in Love, but I am not all the way there yet and neither is the president. He is entitled to his faith struggle without the pressure of secular media and their failure to acknowledge that he even has faith.
To P Russell:
Don't know if you read my other posts on this interview, but I'm so relieved to read yours. I just wrote one in reply to another post and I hope you can read it. I just sent an email to one of the media outlets on my desire to see this issue discussed by African Americans and not just white folks.
I'm white, straight, and a longtime support of civil rights for everyone.
Since I've lived in 5 other cultures outside of America, it's very easy to understand how people's beliefs are shaped by their environments. I so appreciate your honest explanation of our President's struggle with the word "marriage" and I respect his willingness to be open about his resistance. After all, he could just pull a Mitt Romney and say whatever he thinks will get him where he wants to go.
I think President Obama's critics on the left should recognize that he done FAR more than any other president for LGBT rights than any other president and ask themselves why they are holding him to a higher standard than the others. Perhaps their may be some unconscious bigotry going on there. Don't know, just asking.
Thanks very much for your post.
@ P Russell-1463472:
I am 55 years old, African American and female.
Oh great, an African American who supports legal segregation! The formerly oppressed become the oppressors.
The bible makes clear statements about homosexuality, [...] the Word is the Word, so we struggle.
Ever heard of separation of religion and state? Never ever use religion to justify legislation! Don't impose your own religious beliefs on the rest of the nation through legislation. Freedom of religion includes the freedom of having no religion as well as the freedom of having a different religion than you. There can only be freedom OF religion for everyone when legislation is free FROM religion.
I deplore discrimination, but I still struggle when it comes to Gay marriage.
You totally contradict yourself! If you deplore discrimination, then how come you don't deplore marriage discrimination?
there is a struggle between the law (the Word), and Love (the forgiveness and blessing of Christ Jesus)
The bible is not the law. The law is the law. And the law can and must be changed, so that all people enjoy equal freedom (to marry the person they love).
Men and women are equal (before the law) and equally valuable. Right? Consequentially, it must not make a difference - legally and morally - if you love/marry a man or a woman. In each case, it's a person loving/marrying another person. All sexual orientations must be equal before the law, because all people - men and women - are equal before the law.
@ Unity7:
I think President Obama's critics on the left should recognize that he done FAR more than any other president for LGBT rights than any other president
A commenter on The Huffington Post said it best:
"President Obama has done more to advance the cause of gay rights than pretty much any other president in the history of the office.
It is sad that that is insufficient, but that's the truth..."
Anything less than (marriage) equality is unacceptable in this day and age!
ask themselves why they are holding him to a higher standard than the others
Saying that we hold Obama to a higher standard than previous presidents is an incomplete observation.
Every president is held to an equal standard. By "equal" I mean that every president is held to the current standard of the respective time. And the standard of present generations is naturally higher than the standard(s) of previous generations, because society as a whole constantly evolves. The question that arises is whether the (respective) president is ahead of his time, is behind his time or goes with the flow. And Obama is clearly behind his time, not just in terms of not supporting marriage equality. He is also in favour of things like nuclear power and death penalty. Totally outdated!
Please consider this: The President doesn't get elected by the country at large. He has to win certain key states and in some of those states the opinions on gay marriage are closely drawn. Also, conservatives have a habit of putting things like abortion, gay marriage and guns on the ballot for the purpose of drawing out their low-information voters. Should he announce support for gay marriage it would be like them putting it on the ballot again. It would incite participation by them more so than it would excite his voters because those who are going to vote for him likely already have that planned. It would not draw out new voters for him. And consider that it's about as important to take back the House as it is to re elect him. I'm sure he's thinking of Democrats down ballot and doesn't want to create any drag for those that are in tight races. We know where he really stands. And we have all the things he accomplished, not just for the LBGT citizens, but for everyone else. It's imperative that he be re elected. Consider that he appoints the next Supreme Court members. And consider that a rational Court, that follows the Constitution, will dispatch with the inequity of banning gay marriage. That's why he refused to continue to defend DOMA. We should let this be resolved through those means or through his action in a second term, and not be so intent upon him risking it politically now.
Yes, yes, yes.
It seems to me that many of those who post really don't understand the nature of politics. Often I think there are just some very angry folks who want to vent and doing it online is the easiest and safest way.
Politics has become a dirtier and dirtier word, and understandably so. But I'll take politics and diplomacy any day to all out anarchy. Who wants to live in a dog eat dog world which is where we're headed if our President is not re-elected.
Well thought out post. Thank you.