I stick by my limited gratitude to the White House for its oblique but helpful statement about state referenda on gay equality, and specifically (kind of) marriage.
But I'm nobody's fool. President Obama is, today, headed to New Jersey to help out Jon Corzine in a very hotly contested race that could go either way. It's not a national race, or a national issue. It's just the sort of thing polticians do in cases where their considerable presence can help in very close elections.
I wouldn't ask the President to actually speak in person in Maine (even if it's just a little further up the East Coast from New Jersey) or Washington (clear out here in the West Coast). But both of these races are at least as close as the NJ governor's race, and in one sense there's more at stake. Jon Corzine's race is of interest mostly to Jon Corzine and, indirectly, to the Democratic Party -- but only indirectly. If we lose the extremely close elections in Maine and Washington, after having lost in California, it will energize the right wing across the country more than anything else I can imagine.
On many other issues, the White House has been able to manage the right wing attacks. But not on gay equality. He has told us what we want to hear (kind of) but a speech to HRC is very different from a statement directly to voters in Maine and/or Washington. Again, he's given us a tool to use to counter the damage his existing words caused, and that's good. But the new polls are showing these races neck-and-neck, and getting people to the polls will be the deciding factor. As I've argued, the 3% or so of us who are homosexual will certainly go to the polls in those states, as will a certain number of supportive heterosexuals. But an awful lot of them don't have enough of a direct interest in the ballot initiatives to drive them to vote. Our lives and equality are at stake, but not theirs.
That is a message the President can make to voters better than we ever could. It is the one extra thing we need most from him.
2 Comments for “Small Favors (Cont.)”
posted by esurience on
I share the view David Link expressed in his “limited gratitude” post. But as far as Obama helping Corzine out, that’s something that benefits the cause of marriage equality as well. Corzine has said he’ll sign a marriage equality bill of it comes to his desk, but his opponents in this election are against marriage equality. Not only will he sign it, but he’s said he’ll push for it as early as the upcoming lame-duck session (after this election). And, someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the New Jersey legislature has a decent chance of approving such a measure?
On the other hand, probably none of that was a factor in Obama’s decision to head off to New Jersey, so I suppose it would be too generous to express gratitude to Obama for helping Corzine out, even if it does end up benefiting marriage equality.
posted by Vancity on
There is a case to be made that
(a) the great majority of voters have already made up their mind on the issue; and
(b) those few voters who have not yet made up their mind will not be persuaded by an out-of-state political figure.