President Barack Obama affirmed his support for gay marria
ge Wednesday in response to demands – including one from former Gov. Rendell, a man not known for dancing around the issues – to “man up” and take a side.
Obama announced his change of heart during an ABC interview at the White House.
Saying that his views on the issue had “evolved” throughout his presidency, Obama established that he fully supports marriage between same-sex couples, ending a persisting question that received national attention after North Carolina banned gay marriage through a referendum Tuesday.
Obama said he originally believed civil unions for gay couples were “sufficient,” since they provided hospital visitation rights as well as concessions for those who valued traditional, heterosexual marriage only, but that, over time, his stance changed.
“At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to affirm that same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said.
After he canceled a trip to North Carolina, members of the LGBT Community as well as the Democratic Party have demanded that Obama affirm his position on the hot-button issue.
And, during a roundtable discussion on MSNBC yesterday, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell called for Obama to establish his stance on this issue.
Appearing on MSNBC’s News Nation, Gov. Rendell fielded a question from host Thomas Roberts, who mentioned Obama’s appearance at a $2,500-a-plate LGBT fundraiser fundraiser in New York City hosted by openly gay pop singer Ricky Martin.
Roberts asked Rendell how it was possible to maneuver the “political tightrope” presented by the situation. Rendell said the solution to the entire situation was quite simple.
“I think he should do exactly what Michael Steele said he should do, he should man up and say, ‘This is what I believe,’” Rendell said.
Despite support for a gay-marriage ban among African Americans, a voting bloc that overwhelmingly supports the president, Rendell said the group will continue voting for Obama regardless of the president’s stance on the issue.
Rendell also said voters who base their ideology on a single issue wouldn’t have voted for Obama in the first place.
Curiosity also mounted after Vice President Joe Biden and Campaign Strategist David Axelrod had established that they fully support gay marriage, leading some to believe that a discrepancy existed over the issue within Obama’s administration.
Biden stated in an NBC “Meet the Press” interview that he felt “perfectly comfortable” with marriage between gay and lesbian couples.
“I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties,” Biden said. “And quite frankly, I don’t see much of a distinction beyond that.”
Facing a potential loss in funding from LGBT donors, Obama encountered a political quandary, where he hoped to avoid isolation of Democratic constituencies who oppose gay marriage while maintaining the support of the LGBT community, an active voting bloc for Obama.
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10 Responses
How did Ed Rendell not deliver for Hillary? Obama had all the momentum going into PA and Hillary crushed him in the primary with Rendell leading the campaign here. What are you talking about?
Actually, it’s the other way around. the “traditionalists” (whatever that means) are sex-obsessed. They are the problem.
The PA Democratic Party is run in totality by people who are clearly not progressives, and in truth, have nothing but contempt for them. They say so, loudly and publicly.
From the Bible: Macaroni 3:5: “..And the Lord saideth He who layeth witheth another man shall be forever overcometh with beetles and locusts.”
Anyone with an IQ above 50 is laughing hysterically at those who expect us to believe this gay marriage fund raiser venue was not a carefully orchestrated, albeit immature, ploy on the part of Obama et al. Ed Rendell, as usual, begged to have a bit part. Not one in the group who is not a fool and not one in the group fooled anyone with a brain.
Just wanted to thank Moron for my best laugh of the day!
these comments reflect the crazy “progressive” takeover of the democratic party that does NOT, however, reflect the Pennsylvania electorate. The unrelenting pushing by the LGBT community continues to have its reign at the top of the roll, but the “Push” hasn’t yet realized the PUSHBACK inevitably to be felt by traditionalists who have had their issues hijacked by the sex obsessed gay community. Since the cruel (revealingly insecure) assault by Perez Hilton, I have harbored no illusions about the reciprocal ethic of this crowd. They get what they demand then demand the next thing THEY want without the slightest courtesy to those who supported them.
Is Ed Rendelly Sy Snyder”? I mean, seriously, Ed Rendell is yesterday’s news in Pennsylavnia Politics. Let’s look at this recent track record…since winning re-election in 2006, he has been unable to deliver for Hillary, Specter, and Patrick Murphy…why oh why would Obama take any advice from Rendell or be “goaded” by him?
Rendell has zero influence on any of President Obama’s decisions.
I think you are seriously inflating Fast Eddie’s influence…on anyone, much less the President of the United States. No one pays any attention to Ed Rendell. He’s never had a nice word to say about the President. Why would President Obama give a crap what he says? What a joke! Do you all actually think this wasn’t planned? Do you think Biden accidentally let such a catagorical declaration of support for marriage equality slip? You must be idiots.
Any of you gays still gung-ho on marriage might want to spend the weekend with my wife before you start celebrating anything.