[Closed] Has Obama just handed back the keys...?

Interesting. I am sure it's a finely calculated move. He's been criticised for playing compromise politics (ie the sensible kind), so now he's changing tack and nailing his colours to the mast for the upcoming fight. Good show.

Well done Mr Obama.

He will have upset a lot of right wingers in the USA with this stance but would they have voted for him anyway?

I think it is aimed at polarising the middle ground voters who aren't really bothered about gay marriage per se, but are disappointed with his economic history.
The anti-gay marriage crowd will now become even more vocal and shrill which will make moderates back away from the right wing even though they might have sympathy for the Republican economic line.
I believe the pro argument is narrowly ahead in the US.

I believe the pro argument is narrowly ahead in the US.

In the "sensible" states...

Radio 4 person put it like this:

Those opposed to gay marriage didn't think he was anti-gay enough anyway.

Those pro-gay marriage now know which way to vote.

Those not bothered at least see a man who is not afraid to take a stance on a politically sensitive issue.

I believe the pro argument is narrowly ahead in the US.

Something like 30 states explicitly ban it - according to the radio.
But yeah, pro is gathering momentum by the sounds of it, especially amongst the young.

plus 1 on the calculated move. +(plus) doesn't appear on the preview?
There's probably a Romney quote to fall back on to support this and it may mean Romney has to get a VP on board who is utterly madly opposed as a balance. VP candidate then offers other foot in the mouth opportunities that prove unelectable.

He will have upset a lot of right wingers in the USA with this stance but would they have voted for him anyway?

This. It's unlikely to be the deal breaker for those he has to convince to vote for him.

Obama's still in charge. Incumbent president with a weak challenger - if the US economy is on the up then he'll walk it. If not it could be tight, admittedly.
Gay marriage is one of these political-barometer issues that gets dis-proportionately massive coverage. Most people don't have strong views beyond being broadly in favour in any case. As muddydwarf says, seeing the religious right jumping up and down about it when the global economy's going to hell in a handbasket really pushes them away from the average voter.

More and more middle ground voters in the US (or so i'm told by American friends) are becoming less and less comfortable with the direction the GOP is taking. After the loss to President Obama the Tea Party fringe drgged the party ever further rightwards because they beleived the loss was due to the GOP not being 'ideologically pure enough'. The Religious Right in the US has become so shrill, so vocal on matters that really are not in the political arena, so demented about certain issues that they are/have already alienating a sizable core of the younger, professional, middle class Americans.
Romney is hated by the Tea Party loons for being a 'liberal' 🙄 and they will not vote for him, whilst in the more sensible arena he is seen as part of the big business elite that has damaged the US/global economy.

Opinion polls suggest both black and hispanic voters (hispanics more so, blacks barely more than half) oppose same sex marriage. As will a lot of Democrats. this is the cause of the fudging.

But, as Garry_Lager says, any disenfranchisement will probably be inconsequential.

The right wing in the States are really scary - you see little hang mans nooses hanging from rear view mirrors on cars over there - I'll let you guess what it is supposed to symbolise, but I doubt those drivers will be voting for Obama.

The right wing in the States are really scary

[img] [/img]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/may/04/heartland-institute-global-warming-murder

Its amazing how political power will twist your own beliefs. Who knows how it will play out.

Opinion polls suggest both black and hispanic voters (hispanics more so, blacks barely more than half) oppose same sex marriage. As will a lot of Democrats.

Tea Party = Taliban in Mansions

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/may/04/heartland-institute-global-warming-murder

Godwin's Law on a poster - I never thought I'd see that.

this is the cause of the fudging.

... I think you'll find that its a case of fudge nudging in actual fact.... 😯

The people who still believe in man-made global warming are mostly on the radical fringe of society. This is why the most prominent advocates of global warming aren't scientists. They are murderers, tyrants, and madmen.

FFS america really does have more than its fair share of right wing swiveled eye loons and obviously liars

i doubt This will cost Obama anything, those opposed to gay marriage are either a bit thick, or a tad right wing and unpleasant, not the sort that would vote for him anyway. Clever people who disagree with him now either have to vote for him or vote for homophobia .

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18015135 ]A well written piece by an anti-gay marriage christian conservative...[/url]

Quite impressed by the rational writing. Don't agree with his views, but do agree with his synopsis

rkk01, I'm not having a personal dig, so I'll give you a kiss in advance x.

But sorry I don't see what there is to be impressed about, he just reviewed the opinion polls/voting results, thinly vieled his own rascism and didn't make any case for his opposition to gay marriage.

Although I am all for gay marriage, I (or many others on here) could put the opposite case much more effectively than the writer of that piece.

I was taken aback because there was none of the normal righteous ranting that I would have expected from that quarter.

The resigned "like it or not, our opinions are out of date" take on the issue was refreshing - and quite reassuring

rkk01 i just read your link there was not one argument against same sex marriage advanced, probably because there is not one rational or logical argument against same sex marriage.

yeah I can see that reassuring that he knows/accepts its probably over...

I lived in the USA for 6 years and I'm still taken aback at just how important issues like Abortion, Gay Marriage etc are in Presidential Elections. And these issues polarise the Nation FFS....

Surely a Presidential election should be about the Economy, Education, Healthcare, Prisons/Crime, Welfare, Foreign Policy, Tax, Infrastructure, National Defence...

Gay Marriage? Gimme a break...

I'm with you Digger90.
There are families living in tents, in Amerika.
They're making massive cuts in welfare but not in Pentagon spending. They're spending trillions of dollars shitting bombs on poor people in 3rd world countries using unmanned drones.
They're planning another 'Iraq' style invasion (based on W.M.D's that don't exist;o) and people want to even discuss Obomba's stance on gay marriage? He's a zionist bitch, end of!

Lunacy!

[img] [/img]

I was with you, right up to:

He's a zionist bitch, end of!

🙄

Are zionists big on gay marriage then?

There's a Mac news blog I subscribe to, and you wouldn't believe how often posters start ranting about 'Maobama', and the communist/socialist wackjobs in power. Astonishing.

i wanted to write something elaborate along the lines that i think it is sad that a country with so much power and potential has groups and people with such narrow minded, secular mindsets and that they are given such a large platform to express their idiotic views and that these views are taken seriously and given airtime/coverage by the media.

instead i'm going to say that it makes me sad that america exists as it does....

silly seppos.

Are zionists big on gay marriage then?

I don't think you quite understand the term "bitch" as used in this context. The accusation here isn't that Obama is a zionist himself, but merely does their bidding. Every US president since Ronald Reagan can fairly be described as zionist bitches imo, the level of uncritical and unconditional support they have given the zionist state is quite staggering and globally unique.

And btw it would appear that the zionosts are fairly relaxed about same sex relationships so are hardly likely to take serious offense with Obama's stance.

[url= http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=49699 ]Jerusalem registers its first gay couple[/url]

I'm from Vermont -- that would be one of the "sensible" states
we had civil partnerships before the UK, and have had gay marriage for a couple years too. . .
great mountain biking, too.

nathaneddy - how is the pro argument shaping up now President Obama has taken this stand?

I'm from Vermont -- that would be one of the "sensible" states

And probably not very typical ......... how many states have elected senators who openly describe themselves as "socialist" !

Yep. Bernie Sanders. And even more famous (or infamous) is Sen. Jim Jeffords, who left the Republican party to become Independent in 2001, which kept the Republicans from a senate majority under Bush.
as others have said, this won't hurt Obama's election chances, not sure about the marriage issue. . .