Gay Marriage and President Obama

President Obama Supports Gay Marriage

Panderbear voted for Barack Obama in 2008 in both the primary and the general election. He could have just as happily supported Hillary Clinton in the general had she won the Democratic nomination. The decision between the two was a close thing.

Though the two candidates for the nomination appeared to have similar policies, Panderbear considered Clinton the more liberal of the two, a plus. She also had a reputation for being disagreeable at times, which Panderbear feared might negatively affect her electability. In retrospect, with the perverse intransigence of Republicans in Congress, Hillary's confrontational tendencies might have come in handy.

Beyond policies and electability Panderbear judged other factors important for our country in the long run. The election of either a woman or a biracial man would set a positive precedent for open-mindedness of the electorate. Panderbear hoped the fact that a female or black was President of the United States and the sky didn't fall, would change many minds and hearts and lift the aspirations of generations of women and minorities to come.

Panderbear was gratified when President Obama finally expressed his personal support for gay marriage. It was a particularly helpful announcement as virtually overnight support for same-sex marriage among blacks jumped dramatically, an effect one might not have expected but for the president's race. Had the president made his statement prior to the Proposition 8 vote in California barring same-sex marriage, it seems likely the measure would have failed despite considerable interference by Mormons.

Panderbear finds it ironic that the 2012 election pits gay-marriage supporting President Obama against Mitt Romney, an anti-gay marriage Mormon. It would be amusing were it not so frightfully consequential.

Share on Tumblr