TIME MAGAZINE trashes Obama over his empty promises….
Saturday night President Obama charmingly delivered a rather bleak message to the gay community on the eve of its latest march on Washington. In a speech to the world’s largest gay political group, the Human Rights Campaign, Obama essentially said two things: I’m with you. But I can’t do much for you.
As usual with this President, all the cadences were right. “It is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady Gaga,” he ad-libbed, again a deft and knowing line for an audience probably as eager to hear her performance as his. During one clamorous ovation, Obama said, simply, “I love you back.”
Obama patted himself on the back for his party’s passage earlier in the week of a a hate-crimes bill that, for the first time, includes gay and transgender people. And he used the opportunity to tell gay critics who have expected so much of him to express what he expects of them. The hate-crimes bill, he said, had become law only because those who believed in it had thoroughly educated the public about why it was important. “Countless activists and organizers never gave up,” he said. “You held vigils. You spoke out year after year, Congress after Congress.”
Obama is right, in a civics-class sort of way, because social change can’t occur if it’s forced from the top down. But that’s also a convenient argument for him, since it defers responsibility from his office.
Obama did pledge — as he has before — to end the Pentagon’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. But once again he said nothing specific about how he plans to do that and didn’t acknowledge that he already has the statutory power to instruct the Pentagon that investigating service members’ sexuality is not in the best interest of the armed forces. Also, he said that gay relationships can be “just as real and admirable” as straight relationships, but he did not say gay couples should be treated equally. Obama, after all, still opposes equal marriage rights.
“Obama lost me,” said Zach Rosen, 28, who came to Washington from Philadelphia. “He took a lot of gay dollars and gay votes, and then it was like Clinton — unkept promises.”
I’m sorry, who is surprised by this exactly? I mean there is a trail of bodies behind the bus that Obama drives over those who are politically expedient in his career (or lack thereof). Why wouldn’t The Gays be another victim?
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
‘Why wouldn’t The Gays be another victim?”
Thats really what this is all about. Everyday, in everyway, find the spin that makes us all victims of the wicked Obama.
Thats what American political discourse has become – a race to see who can define themselves as the biggest victim.
I especially love this part:
“Obama is right, in a civics-class sort of way, because social change can’t occur if it’s forced from the top down. But that’s also a convenient argument for him, since it defers responsibility from his office.”
So he is right, but the argument is convenient for him, so therefore….what? He isn’t right anymore? Or we can claim he is victimizing us anyway, even though we acknowledge he is right?
I’m so sick and tired of dog and pony shows. I had no interest in watching his speech nor Equality Rally on Sunday. President Obama talks a good game. But at the end of the day, he won’t lift a finger. My point, I’m so over GLAAD and Human Rights Campaign who claim to be speaking for me.
But in fact, since they are mostly leftist, all they really care about is their high priced fundraising dinners and photo ops with the annointed ones!! They don’t care about consistency of any kind.
I’ve decided to focus my attention on the plight of homosexuals in the muslim world and in the Third World. Because at the end of the day, I’m glad I can live in a country where I won’t be put in jail or hanged for being a lesbian.
#1: “Thats really what this is all about. Everyday, in everyway, find the spin that makes us all victims of the wicked Obama.”
We don’t mind, Tano. We know how busy all of you are with spending your days claiming to be victims of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and those evil Christians.
“Thats what American political discourse has become – a race to see who can define themselves as the biggest victim.”
No. That is NOT what American political discourse has become. It is what liberal political strategy has BEEN for the last four decades.
Why is anyone surprised at anything O does? If it makes him look good – there you go.
I had a hard time stomaching the news, I barely watch the news on TV, but over the weekend you couldn’t get away from their gushing at how Obama did so much for Gay people. And I listened to portions of the speech played on my local network news (presumably the choicest bits) and thought “wtf, this is just his campaign speech, what’s to cheer about?”
Of course taking credit for a bill that hasn’t passed the Senate and likely won’t is a bit much.
But it doesn’t surprise me that someone who doesn’t want to risk his political career to expand freedom, is more than happy to try to limit speech and thought. It goes hand in hand: he will someday expand freedom, but in the meantime he’s proud of trying to restrict freedom even more.
Mr. Cloud is also confused over negative and positive rights when he says you can’t make change from the top down. That is pretty much true, and it is the argument against hate crime bills, and for removing restrictions on military service. Both of those are rules that restrict freedom and should not exist in a free country.
As for change coming from the roots, not being imposed from the top down, what about integration – black and whites mingling? Seems to me THAT trend started in the military, and was imposed from the top down. . .
What is a “lady gaga”?
The bigger question to me is, what has the Democrat party really done for homosexuals? How about minorities in general? What about the War on Poverty that we have been waging for over 40 years? All of these battlefronts, riddled with failed promises and failed policies that has left us where exactly?
Obama never intended on doing anything for the gay community until forced and even then there is a big question mark as to what the outcome will be. President needs the gay community for votes and power, like the rest of them. Some might say that is simplistic, but sometimes answers are that simple. At the same time, I have mentioned before that as a lesbian I am not for gay marriage and believe we have more necessary fights to be faught (economy, unemployment, 2 wars), but I am simply amazed that people keep absorbing President Obama’s rhetoric as factual evidence that he will actually do something legislatively.
I am not naive to believe that the Republican party politicians have all of the answers, because if I have to listen to Lindsey Graham again, I will scream, but I do believe that Conservative principles of individual Liberty and Freedom must prevail. If they don’t, we become Europe.
Is there still progress to be made for the gay community, yes, but gays have more freedom in this country than any other and for that I am greatful.