Paul Jenkins (Huff Post) — Obama and McClurkin: Don't Care

[NYCGirl]

And another side:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-jenkins/obama-and-mcclurkin-don_b_69556.html


In this game, all candidates have been associated with homophobes. For instance, Hillary Clinton recently trumpeted her friendship with Harold Mayberry, of the First African Methodist Church in Oakland; her press release on the meeting/endorsement left out the fact that Mayberry believes homosexuality to be comparable to thievery.

This campaigning compartmentalization has lead to the absurdity of Democrats rediscovering the value of states' rights, after the brief 1960s folly of empowering the federal government to have a say in the minor matter of local civil rights; segregationist Democratic party greats such as George Wallace would feel vindicated. The irony is thick: Democrats can't get enough of the federal government regulating every aspect of our lives, except on the one issue of same-sex marriage.

More bluntly, the leading Democratic candidates' stance on same-sex marriage is in itself homophobic, although I don't completely blame Clinton, Obama or John Edwards (actually, him I do blame for being a coward and trying to have it both ways by hiding behind both his faith and his wife). They are making a political calculation, and it is their right to do so; it is for the rest of us to show that calculation to be increasingly flawed.

His association with a fool like McClurkin notwithstanding, Obama easily remains the most convincing on the issue of gay rights. He is by far the most comfortably eloquent on the subject, and he is right when he says that he is the only candidate who has brought the fight to some of its toughest frontiers. Clinton, Ms. DOMA, is fine in front of a Human Rights Campaign audience, but, as with everything else, overly cautious elsewhere. As for Edwards, his stated "struggle" on the issue of gay marriage is not exactly inspiring, especially coming from Mr. Slick on every other topic. And, of course, we love Dennis Kucinich, but we are not going there.

[flpoljunkie]

1. Thank you, NYCGirl for posting some much needed perspective.

[DemFemme]

2. I was making some of these same points yesterday, though far less well.

All of the Democratic candidates have similar positions on GLBT rights. Strangely enough, I don't see the outrage extending
to Hillary's endorsement by Rev. Mayberry from some of the more self-righteous partisans on this board. :shrug:

[jefferson_dem]

3. Thanks for posting this.

The article is right on.

Obama's the best choice, including on GLBT issues.

[illinoisprogressive]

4. We need to do a three cheers for NYCGirl

[Grandrose]

10. Hip, hip, hooray!

Thank you NYCGirl for being right on time with this article!:applause: :kick:

[Solon]

5. This is a big reason why I don't like any of those 3 candidates, doesn't excuse any of them...

I'm frankly disgusted at all the apologists for homophobia and hatred!

[terrya]

6. Exactly

I don't like any of the candidates cozying up to these creeps.

But using this to excuse bigotry ia despicable.

[Solon]

7. You know what I find revealing, I've not seen one of these apologists even condemn the bigotry...

displayed as actual bigotry. All we see is halfhearted "I disagree with this view, but...." excuses, which I find quite revealing, don't you agree?

[terrya]

8. Yes.

"Donnie was raped at 8". "Well, Clinton has had a bigot endorse her" (that one semmingly like a broken record). Etc, etc.

Not one single word about how harmful the bigotry is, not one word of condemnation as to homophobia itself. Just...excuses.

Complete agree with you.

[Solon]

9. "Its a religious belief...", "They just believe in the Bible...", "They were raised that way...."

Excuses on top of excuses, I'm beginning to doubt that these people even tolerate GBLT people at all, I'm thinking not.

[terrya]

11. At the very least, just pure apathy.

I've seen the analogy around here...if a Democratic candidate hired a racist for some campaign event, what would be the reaction? And all of us would condemn that candidate. But, well...to hire a person who says that homosexuality is a "curse", who champions the "ex-gay" movement espouses the worst kind of hypocrisy. And it's.."eh. So what?" It just cements my belief that there are people around DU who seem to share the same beliefs about GLBT people as the bigots we've been dealing with all of our lives.

[Cameron27]

13. I just change the name of the concert to Jerry Falwell's

gospel tour, and I know exactly what the reaction to the McBigot singers would be.

[closeupready]

17. Someone else said he was actually LAUGHING about the whole thing.

:mad:

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

12. I came here to post this!

Thank you!

[ShortnFiery]

14. Kick for perspective!

:dem:

[Colobo]

15. This is a GREAT analysis.

[NYCGirl]

16. morning kick

[CyberPieHole]

18. I'm not being facetious, but, what did Kucinich say or do?

I have yet to read an explanation of why "we are not going there". Could someone explain it to me?:shrug: