Hillary: I Support Gay Marriage

[IDemo]

Source: Daily Beast

Is Nate Silver handicapping who will come out in favor of gay marriage next? Hillary Clinton released a video online Monday saying she supports gay marriage. Clinton says “LGBT Americans” are “full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship, and that includes marriage.” The move comes just days after Ohio Republican Rob Portman declared his support for gay marriage, saying his position had changed due to his gay son. It also comes shortly after former President Bill Clinton called for the repeal of the controversial legislation he signed, the Defense Against Marriage Act, unconstitutional. Several key Democratic contenders for 2016 have thrown their support behind gay marriage as well.




Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2013/03/18/hillary-i-support-gay-marriage.html

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(video at link)

[graham4anything]

1. Hillary has always been for it. Hillary be far to the left of Bill while President 2017 to 2025

Because she will win a far bigger landslide and have the house and senate on her side and the US Supreme Court on her side.

[karynnj]

2. That is ridiculous on the surface

She was not for it in 2008. It was not an issue in 2000. There was no comment that she disagreed with DOMA in 1996. (and yes, she could have verbalized a different position than the President. Note that BARBARA BUSH did when GHWB became anti abortion - a position that played against the Republican base where Hillary taking a position would have played TO the Democratic base.)

Leave it as - it is good that she is now on record - more than a year after the issue got majority support. More than a year after Biden and Obama, more than 4 1/2 years after John Kerry, who voted against DOMA in 1996. She also follows most Democratic Senators who signed on to Kirsten Gillibrand's bill to legislatively end DOMA. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-kirsten-gillibrand/momentum-for-doma-repeal_b_904367.html She was even later than her husband, who in addition to citing his support, said that he was wrong in 1996.

Hillary was a centrist as a Senator, not a liberal - and that is how she ran for President. Just like Bill Clinton. The key here is likely the last sentence - other 2016 contenders - including Biden, Cuomo (who pushed it through in NY), O'Malley(who signed it into law in Maryland) all ACTIVELY, PRODUCTIVELY supported gay marriage before it was the thing to do.

Hillary will not and can not run for the nomination from the left. Nor does she likely want to. However, she needed to get on the record on this now before it became a disqualifier.

I am happy that Hillary Clinton joined her voice for this - as hers is a persuasive one to many people. Just as I was happy that Bill Clinton did. They were not profiles in courage here. It should be noted that they moved AFTER 50% of the population agreed with the position. However, as powerful voices of the center, they might make some more conservative people happier with the fact that if DOMA fails, there are many states where gay spouses will get all the benefits of marriage.

[NorthCarolina]

9. Very well said.

[NYC Liberal]

3. We can only hope.

I hope she runs and I will support her (again) if she does.

It's pretty great that we have so many great potential candidates.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Didn't a whole bunch of Republicans already beat her to this punch?

[NYC Liberal]

6. She's supported it for a few years now.

I remember she supported the marriage equality bill in NYS in 2011.

[karynnj]

11. The first time I saw her speak positively was when

NY state passed the law in June 2011. Earlier that year, she had affirmed her 2008 position against gay marriage - so there is a narrow interval within which she changed her mind.

This was at a point where it was already nearly 50/50 - and when the majority of Democrats were for it.

It is great that she is for it --- but she is NOT one of the people who backed it early. Even Obama wasn't - and there was no time where she was better on this than he was.

[NYC Liberal]

12. All of that is my understanding as well. Definitely wouldn't call her an "early" backer.

I do wonder when she personally came around. She came out in support of the NY law in 2011 but it's possible she had come around before and didn't speak out about it then, being a member of the administration.

Anyway, I welcome anyone who is willing to change their mind.

[JI7]

13. i don't think most Democrats other than maybe some Robert Byrd types ever

really opposed it other than for political reasons. even republicans like bush and mccain don't really care if it's legal but they will go so far as to ban it if it helps them politically.

[Orsino]

15. You can't run for president as an early backer.

The political climate is changing, however. Should she run in 2016, I suspect it won't be a huge deal. No bigger than any of the other GOP tempests in teapots.

[Beacool]

7. She was the SOS.

She's a private citizen right now and free to say whatever she feels like saying.

[Ash_F]

5. I am actually surprised she is this late on this. Glad she is on board though.

Good on everyone who fought for it when it wasn't fashionable.

[Beacool]

8. In 2011 in Geneva she gave the best speech I've heard on LGBT rights.

But she was the SOS at the time. She's now free to talk about any subject.

[windowpilot]

10. From the same woman that supports bush*...

n/t

[Enrique]

14. maybe she knows Portman's kid