Why Are We Giving Obama So Much Credit for So Few Empty Words?

By West Village Bill

Everyone is falling all over themselves praising President Obama for saying what we can be pretty sure he's believed all along, despite his bullshit talk about how his views are evolving on the issue: He's got no problem with gay and lesbian couples getting married.

I'm not arguing that it isn't a significant development for a sitting president to endorse gay marriage. But let's not forget the other, all-important thing he said about same-sex marriage: It should be left up to the states to decide. So even though he believes it should be allowed to happen, he's not about to impose it on states that are repulsed by the very thought of it. And he's tacitly making the argument that the U.S. Constitution doesn't grant LGBT citizens the right to marry whoever they want. I'd like to ask him why states should get to decide this matter but not whether citizens of different races should be allowed to marry. And I'm saddened that it's mostly conservative and libertarian voices who are pointing out the ridiculousness of that part of Obama's statement.

And of course, he said this a day too late to have any effect on the opinions of the people of North Carolina, who enshrined discrimination against lesbian and gay couples into their state constitution.

Ultimately, it's just empty talk in an election year. Just like this too-little-too-late election-year spin from Harry Reid on how he was wrong to let the Republicans play him for a fool.

Obama still doesn't plan to sign an executive order banning discrimination against LGBT workers at companies with government contracts. That's something he could do right now that would have a definite, positive impace on people's lives.

And we can't overlook the fact that Joe Biden's response to a question forced Obama to make a statement now. I don't buy the story that the White House was planning to endorse marriage equality sometime before the election.

And we also must not forget the all-important issue of money. Donations from deep-pocketed LGBTers were down, and he probably thought this action these words would get the checks rolling in again. And he's almost certainly right about that.

We have to demand more from this self-described fierce advocate of our community. Despite his occasional public complaints about Wall Street behavior, the banksters have gotten everything they've wanted from Obama in return for heavily donating to his first campaign. Why do we LGBT citizens happily settle for so little?

Crossposted at Hawleyblog