Obama Reaches Out to the LGBT Community in TX and OH

[From The Left]

Having raised $32 million last month and positioned to raise $50 million in February, The Advocate reports the Obama campaign is lavishing some of its cash advantage on the LGBT community with targeted ad buys in Ohio and Texas leading up to the critical March 4th primaries in both states (Rhode Island and Vermont also vote that day.)

According to Obama LGBT Steering Committee member Eric Stern, the campaign has just completed an ad buy with queer newspapers in the four largest LGBT markets of those two states — Columbus, Cleveland, Dallas and Houston.

Full page ads will appear starting this Friday in Outlook Weekly of Columbus, the Gay People’s Chronicle of Cleveland, the Dallas Voice, and OutSmart, which is Houston based. Buying a full-page, four-color ad that appears one time typically costs anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 in weekly publications. In the Gay People’s Chronicle, for instance, the ad cost about $850 according to the paper’s advertising manager; the same ad went for about $1500 in the Dallas Voice.

Stern called the coordinated buy “the icing on the cake” in terms of the Obama camp’s outreach to the gay community in Ohio and Texas. “It’s a direct appeal to LGBT voters asking for their support,”

[yardwork]

1. Yeah? What's he promising us now?

Is Donnie McClurkin still carrying the message?

I'm listening. I'm open to hear what Senator Obama's message to gay folk is now. What is it? What do the ads say?

[11 Bravo]

36. Hallelujah! He's going to send McClurkin out ...

to save all the homos! Can he get an amen?

[miceelf]

48. See

it's this kind of thing that is frustrating.

I don't think any reasonable person blames folk for holding McClurkin against Obama. But when you start attributing views to Obama that he simply does not hold, that's kind of unfair/dishonest.

[Hieronymus]

40. Is McClurkin the only thing you have against Obama? Four lesbian ....

friends love Obama.

[yardwork]

44. It's fair to say that the McClurkin incident is probably the single thing I have against Obama.

Other than that, I think he's probably ok. That incident is probably the single reason that Hillary slightly edged out Obama for my support here at the end of the primaries. Neither of them were my first, second, or third choices for president. I don't see much to choose between them. I'll support whomever gets the nomination.

[mtnester]

2. He did not have to spend all that money

Those in the GLBT community and their familes know exactly what he could do to get their support, and it would not cost a dime.

[maddiejoan]

3. Pandering with ad buys

to LGBT magazines isn't reaching out to the LGBT community.

[JoFerret]

19. Pander, Preach, Patronize

ugh

[Hieronymus]

41. God forbid a politician pander, preach, or patronize for votes .....

Hillary went so far as to have her hair teased up like a haystack for an appearance in Baton Rouge... thought she'd get those big haired voters, I guess.

[Bluebear]

4. What do the ads say? "Embrace the Change!!"?

This is not reaching out, it is buying ads.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. I think this is LONG overdue . . . ,

but kudos to Obama. As an Obama supporter, his lack of outreach to the gay community is one of the few disappointments I have with him and, frankly, where Hillary has outshone him. But hey, it's never to late to do the right thing.

GObama!

[From The Left]

6. Agree

The ads will explain that Barack Obama plans to repeal DOMA. Unlike Hillary Clinton, who refuses to repeal DOMA because she agrees with it.

[Bluebear]

9. Kudos for what? Buying ads? That is *not* "reaching out" to LGBT's.

It's just buying ads!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. Bluebear, you have a point . . .

but at least it's a start. It's better than treating the LGBT's as if they're invisible and acting like you're afraid of losing votes even by making such a small overture. You have to give him some credit for that, even though, as I said, Hillary is much stronger in recognizing and reaching out on these issues.

But again, you're point is well taken. Obama needs to do much more to show that descrimination - in any of its ugly forms - will not be tolerated.

[Bluebear]

15. I will be very curious to see the ads, sincerely.

I still cannot believe that he can be as tone-deaf to our issues as he was in South Carolina with McClurkin. But at this point, he does need to do more than buy ads or mention gays in passing every once in a while to regain my trust. Cheers, inabluestate!

[terrya]

25. You know what he could do?

His campaign could contact the Stonewall Democrats to set up an interview. To answer ANY questions re: the GLBT community and its issues. It would give them a chance to bring up McClurkin...and his chance to talk about it. The outrage that episode engendered (and btw, anyone who says that the McClurkin farce was solely a DU thing...nope). That would mean a hell of a lot more to people who still are ambivalent about Obama and his stance on GLBT issues than seeing some ad in the same magazine alongside an ad for Miami's White Party or whatever circuit party is going on right now.

[Bluebear]

30. 'alongside an ad for Miami's White Party' lol....

You got that right.

Case in point, I don't read ANY LGBT magazine. His ad requesting my vote wouldn't even reach me.

[terrya]

31. There you go.

An ad is just selling a product. Nothing more. And if the ad doesn't reach the audience it's intended (ie: you and other GLBT people who don't read GLBT magazines), then it's sort of pointless.

[yardwork]

38. What the fuck is an LGBT magazine, anyway? Like "we" have our "own" magazines?

I must not have received the Lesbian Welcome Wagon basket with all the LGBT products I'm supposed to be consuming.

If Obama wants to reach out to queer people maybe he should buy an ad in the New York Times or LA Times or Newsweek or whatever. Martha Stewart maybe.

[Hieronymus]

42. You use the term "we" when speaking of things gay, how is that ....

you never heard of a gay magazine or newspaper?

[yardwork]

43. Are you queer? I am. I'm offended at the idea that the queer community is homogeneous.

I'm offended at the idea that all queer people consume "special" products designed for "us."

Yes, I am aware that there are publications by and for queer people. I have nothing against them. However, I'm offended at the suggestion that that's all I read, or that I even have a particular interest in a publication that purports to speak for a "community" of people that is very diverse. The "gay community" is as diverse as the "heterosexual community." Are there special publications for straight people?

I think that most of the gay folks on this board understand exactly what I mean. On the other hand, I don't claim to speak for anyone but myself. I certainly don't claim to speak for some mythical "gay community."

[Bake]

7. I hear the ads feature Donnie McClurkin

All the money in the world can't change what Obama did by giving that bigot a stage and a microphone.

Bake

[Alhena]

10. DU- all McClurkin, all the time

[Bluebear]

11. Do tell us your objection to gay sensibilities.

[Barack_America]

27. How and why does McClurkin = gay sensibilities?

Surely you're not suggesting that gays and their political interests are so simple.

:shrug:

[Bluebear]

29. Simple, no, but not so easily dismissed as the poster's drive-by comment implied.

[racaulk]

21. Sorry if that annoys you...

But some of us in the GLBT community were very hurt over this, and rightfully so.

[ecstatic]

13. I blame Stern for the McClurkin flap. He was a miserable failure as an advisor

There's no way anyone outside of Obama's GLBT advisor group could have anticipated how vicious Clintonites would twist and turn that gospel event into something it wasn't. Most people either never heard of McClurkin and if they did, they had no idea about his views. They were only there to hear him sing. It was Stern's job to foresee the fallout and he failed. He should have been fired, IMO.

[JoFerret]

18. And I blame Obama. it was his judgment

...he is the candidate. He took the step. It was his choice, his judgment.

[yardwork]

39. "Vicious Clintonites" had nothing to do with it. Nice effort to shift the blame.

McClurkin had the mike all night and he spent a good half hour raving about how prayer saved him from the queer and we could all be saved if we'd just get down on our knees and renounce our horrible sinning ways. McClurkin said that gay people are like murderers - we're both deserving of love and redemption.

[madrchsod]

8. from the dallas voice

http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_8136.php
Dallas Voice :: Chelsea blows chance to win LGBT support on Dallas trip

http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_8143.php
Dallas Voice :: Stonewall sticks with Hillary

[From The Left]

14. Thank you for posting this link

[JoFerret]

16. Is he going to heal them?

.

[terrya]

17. Hell, Coors beer advertises in gay magazines and newspapers.

Doesn't mean I actually like their crappy product.

So what?

[racaulk]

23. !!!

Great comparison! :rofl:

[theHandpuppet]

20. Are they full-page apologies?

If not, he just wasted a lot of money.

[terrya]

24. They're ads.

The Chicago Free Press, the gay and lesbian newspaper here, had a whole slew of ads the week before the Illinois primary from all sort of pols. They were ads. They didn't offer any reason WHY you should vote for them. But you saw this ad for so and so running for the 19th Circuit judicial slot, and you saw it was in a newspaper catered to the GLBT community and I guess you were supposed to say to yourself "by God, this person must be absolutely impeccable on GLBT issues! He/she must be the bestest friend our community will ever have! Just because their ad was in the Chicago Free Press! Yippee!"

I'm sure the Hillary Clinton campaign has those same sort of ads. No big reason to assume Obama has suddenly wrapped himself in the Rainbow Flag.

[readmoreoften]

22. Did his brand rework their logo? A hip new logo can go far.

Not stabbing people in the back goes further, but PR can help a lot I hear.

[Jamastiene]

26. A few thousand dollars on ads when

an apology would have been priceless? No, thanks. An apology would mean so much more and cost him nothing.

[Forkboy]

28. This should be interesting.

[FlyingSquirrel]

32. I'm curious about something

Less than a month ago Gay City News endorsed Obama over Clinton in spite of the McClurkin thing.

http://pride.barackobama.com/page/content/lgbthome

-----

(snip)

This newspaper was probably tougher on Obama than anyone else was for his ill-considered decision to call on Donnie McClurkin - a so-called "ex-gay" gospel singer vitriolic in his attacks on the LGBT community - to reach out to churchgoing African-American communities in South Carolina. We are counting on him to make wiser choices in future efforts to "build bridges" - and on that score applaud the loving words about his "gay brothers and sisters" Obama enunciated from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Atlanta pulpit last week.

The McClurkin episode, unfortunate as it was, pales in comparison to the divisiveness that Senator Clinton has allowed her campaign to devolve into. Her comparison between the roles played by Dr. King and President Lyndon Johnson in advancing civil rights can be chalked up to inartfulness. The comments coming from her surrogates are far more disturbing, forming a pattern that sadly can no longer be ignored.

(snip)

That is unacceptable, and the LGBT community should lend its voice to a growing progressive chorus in turning its back on this kind of politics. For us, winning in the ghetto is no longer good enough - not for blacks, not for gays, not for anyone.

There is a great deal we admire about Hillary Clinton, and our conclusion about the direction of her campaign is arrived at with a heavy heart. Should she prevail in the nomination fight, we have hope that the better angels of her nature will come to the fore in the fall campaign.

But at this moment we put our faith in the hope that remains undimmed. We urge a vote for Barack Obama.

-----

Now I know that this paper does not and can not speak for all its readers any more than any other paper could. But I've heard so much about McClurkin and heard so much vitriol from those for whom this seems to be the only issue in their minds when it comes to Hillary vs. Obama, I'm wondering if there aren't some in the LGBT community here at DU who agree with the above sentiments or feel that it was not as big a deal as others do.

[Bluebear]

33. Has Obama placed ads with them, as well?

[FlyingSquirrel]

34. Heck if I know.

:shrug:

You're suggesting that their editorial could be influenced by his advertising dollars? I would think that it would not be worth alienating their readers over a few bucks.

[grantcart]

46. do you mean a month ago or now?

[kdpeters]

35. I think the passage you quoted says everything quite nicely

I think there are lots of us who are NOT all-McClurkin all the time.

[Alexander]

37. Obama will repeal all of DOMA. Hillary, not so much.

The choice is clear.

[yardwork]

45. The president doesn't have the power to do that alone - we shall see.

As many of you are very fond of pointing out, Bill Clinton promised much to the gay community when he campaigned, and after election, he discovered that it was much harder to deliver than he had expected.

I don't believe grandiose campaign promises. I've learned the hard way to keep my expectations low.

In any case, either Obama or Hillary are way, way better than any Republican.

[grantcart]

47. It would be very interesting to see what ads they place

[Prism]

49. Ads are worthless! Except when they're not. Which depends entirely upon our mood.

Does anyone else remember the Ford Motor Company ad flap? When Ford planned to pull ad buys from gay publications, my god, you'd have thought Henry Ford himself had risen from the dead and threatened to dump radioactive waste in Castro. The HRC, GLAAD, and on and on. They even started putting together outreach summits

Ads were these scary important, terrifically symbolic things that let us know who our friends and enemies were.

Apparently we're approaching them differently now. Now they mean nothing and anyone whose opinion is swayed by them is a fool.

I can't keep up with my community sometimes. I got the Agenda when I came out, as is right and proper. But these constant amendments and revisions just aren't making it to my fax machine for some reason.

For the love of God, someone tell me what I'm outraged about and what doesn't matter anymore. Just a little head's up so I can praise or dismiss based on whatever silliness we have going on any given week.

Thanks in advance.

[Bluebear]

50. "Our" mood, "my" community: You speak as if we move & think as one.