Why Barack’s Mojo With the Gays Can’t Match Hillary’s

[nonconformist]

Clinton at New York's Gay Pride March in 2000.Photo: Getty Images

Why did twice as many gay Democratic voters prefer Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama on Super-Duper Tuesday? Despite Obama's soaring rhetoric of inclusion, according to exit polls, Hillary won the gay vote 63 percent to 29 percent in California and 59 percent to 36 percent in New York. In tony coastal Massachusetts, Obama carried Martha's Vineyard (the Clintons' on-again, off-again summer home), but Hillary tellingly swept Provincetown. The compromises and betrayals of Bill Clinton's presidency ("Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Defense of Marriage Act, and other more minor offenses) seem to be forgotten or at least forgiven. But this could be as much about fear of Obama as it is belief in Clinton.

First, there's the record: As First Lady, Hillary marched in a gay-pride parade, and she has done so multiple times as a senator. She's supported AIDS-care funding and an expansion of hate-crimes legislation. And after nearly running his first administration aground by coming out for gays to serve openly in the military, Bill appointed openly gay James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg in 1999 during a congressional recess. The Clintons just seemed comfortable around gay people.

It's hard for Obama to match that history, even though his LGBT platform is similarly progressive to Hillary's. (In fact, Obama's is actually better, since he supports a full repeal of DOMA, and Clinton just wants to remove many of its restrictions.) Obama is handsome and well meaning, but it's hard for many gay voters to not also see just another straight guy with the messianic ego to think he deserves to lead. And then there's the hard-to-shake perception that he might be somehow personally uncomfortable around gay people. As part of his building of a coalition of idealistic white liberals and black churchgoers, Obama invited gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who says his faith cured him of homosexuality, to perform at one of his fund-raisers (though he repudiated McClurkin's views).

Meanwhile, Hillary has become a gay icon the hard way, or possibly the only way — she's the awkward idealist who's suffered and been smeared while working twice as hard to be perfect. She grew up feeling like she had to prove herself doubly to earn the respect of her father and brothers. Neel Lattimore, her press secretary in the White House, once told me that during a gay fund-raiser for her first Senate bid, he and the other attendees laughed it up in true camp fashion as a montage of her bad hairstyles played — and Hillary laughed right along. —Sean Kennedy

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/02/examining_why_baracks_mojo_wit.html?imw=Y

[I Vote In Pittsburgh]

1. So let me get this correct...

More gays voted for Hillary in her home state (59 to 36 percent for gays, 59 to 40 percent overall) and in another state she won?

:shrug:

[ruggerson]

2. Not to mention the Gavin Newsom avoidance syndrome

that Obama contracted in 2004

[Lindsey]

4. Well, as a lesbian who lives in L.A. ,almost EVERY single one of my

friends - both lesbians, and gay males are for Hillary BIG TIME. From what I can see, she has a hugh LGBT following in CA. I'm an Obama supporter myself and am not talkin' politics so much with my friends lately because I just don't wanna go there. In the meantime, I'm hearing my lesbian Illinois sister, (with whom I talk on the phone almost daily) who is into Obama BIG TIME, tell me her thoughts about Hillary (and the thoughts she has are....well... not so good). I will be THRILLED when our candidate is decided!!!!!!!!!!! I need some harmony.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[UALRBSofL]

5. Just a few things she did in arkansas when I lived there

She tried to get the arkansas legislature to approve same sex benefits for state employees. This ruffled a lot of feathers. She came to our AIDS fundraisers. We also held fundraisers for Bill and they attended. She is very knowledgeable and close to the GLBT community.

[jackson_dem]

7. Thanks for posting another example of Hillary being an agent of change for decades

[DURHAM D]

6. Don't you belong in a Log Cabin? n/t

[Jamastiene]

11. I was thinking they belong in a cave, but that will do. n/t

[Sapphocrat]

8. Bullshit. n/t

[Jamastiene]

10. You need some proof to back those allegations up, buster.

I don't give a damn who you are or who you THINK you are, if you are going to make those kinds of allegations, you had better come here with some proof.

[NMMNG]

14. Unsubstantiated "Hillary is a lesbian" rumors don't do anything to help

Please stop.

[Goat or Panic]

9. Beautiful picture of her

BTW.

I love that our candidates are competing to see who can claim to be the most inclusive, while the repugs are racing to be the most divisive.

[weeve]

12. Ambassador to Luxembourg ???

Well ... I guess that's something.

Still, though I'm supporting Obama based primarily on his most liberal voting record, and anti-Iraq war stance, etc .... props to Hillary for her gay stance ( not wide ) and support !

Hillary for Senate Majority Leader !!

[donheld]

13. She is smashing in that hat!

Let me say this however. I'm gay as gay gets and I proudly support Barack Obama. I do not think he is throwing me or anyone else under the bus. If that makes anyone think less of me, life will go on.

[Psyop Samurai]

15. What's sad is that "Hillary" was always eminently likable...

...too bad that world no longer exists, except as a product of denial.

Believe me, I would love to celebrate life again. I would love for the war on humanity to be over, or for it all to have been a bad dream. I would summon the spirits of the ol' time Dems and dance the night away! I would wear stupid hats and sing "Gimme that Ol' Time Religion"!

But alas, it is not over; it is not just a dream. And everything is exactly what it looks like, outside the perception management matrix. Including the DLC.

[nonconformist]

16. Kick

:kick: