updated May 9, 2012
Did Vice President Joe Biden endorse marriage equality on “Meet the Press”? He said, “I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties.”
Progressive activists immediately hailed this breakthrough, but presidential campaign advisor David Axlerod was soon walking Biden’s comments back, saying the veep did not endorse full equality, or didn’t mean to. Axlerod tweeted that Biden’s statement “that all married couples should have exactly the same legal rights” is “precisely” the position taken by President Obama all along.
So Obama and Biden are for equal rights for all. But not for marriage equality. Depending on whose votes they’re seeking, and what time of day it is. (Caveat: I’ll beat my Democrat commenters to the punch: “Yea, but Republicans are worse.”)
More. To those party loyalists who replied that the campaign isn’t walking anything back (hey, even NPR acknowledged as much in its report), commenter “another steve” points out:
Axlerod said Biden and Obama are on the same page; Obama supports rights but not giving gays the institution of marriage. Biden seemed to say he supports marriage in full, but if he and Obama are in synch, as Axlerod claims, then he doesn’t. Or does Obama now support marriage equality – but Axlerod said Obama’s position remains what it has been. So just who is sending a confused message here?
More still. James Kirchick writes in the New York Daily News on Joe Biden, Barack Obama and the value of strategic ambiguity in the gay marriage debate:
Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter where the President or the Vice President stand on marriage equality. Marriage is a state issue, or, at least, should be, were it not for the fact that the Defense of Marriage Act remains law — and were it not for the fact that some Republicans want to write discrimination into the Constitution via a Federal Marriage Amendment.
But Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson explains why “Gay marriage is not a trick question, and we shouldn’t be getting trick answers from the President of the United States.”
16 Comments for “Did He or Didn’t He?”
posted by Did He or Didn’t He? | QClick Radar on
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posted by Doug on
If Biden did fully endorse, and not walk back, marriage equality, how are you going to blame and spin it into something negative Steven? You are a real piece of work.
posted by another steve on
Hey, if you HATE Stephen and what he thinks and advocates so much, just why do you haunt his blog. I mean, doesn’t that really make you a really big jerk, to keep coming her and insulting the guy? Is this how you really want to spend your life?
posted by Doug on
1) I didn’t use the word hate. . you did.
2) This is supposed to be an Independent Gay Forum – now a right wing forum.
3) I don’t call people names. . . you do.
posted by Jimmy on
So reactionary.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
So Obama and Biden are for equal rights for all. But not for marriage equality.
”
What you and the others who seem to be hyperventilating over Biden’s statement miss is the first two sentences of Biden’s statement — “I am vice president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy.” Within that context, I read the balance of Biden’s statement as giving his personal view.
Depending on whose votes they’re seeking, and what time of day it is.
LOL – I think that you have President Obama and Vice President Biden confused with President-Presumptive Romney.
posted by another steve on
Axlerod said Biden and Obama are on the same page; Obama supports rights but not giving gays the institution of marriage. Biden seemed to say he supports marriage in full, but if he and Obama are in synch, as Axlerod claims, then he doesn’t. Or does Obama now support marriage equality – but Axlerod said Obama’s position remains what it has been.
So just who is sending a confused message here? As much as you love to demean and insult the blogger, it doesn’t seem to be Stephen, does it?
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Axelrod is just trying to make this a one-day story. He’s obviously spinning.
It should be a one-day story. It doesn’t amount to anything, as near as I can tell, and all the hyperventilating over it is reading a lot into very little.
Biden talks himself into corners all the time, but it was clear to me that, whatever else he was saying, his thoughts about what he thinks, however you interpret it, weren’t intended to reflect administration policy, which, as he noted, is set by the President.
In any event, Stephen has no grounds to pronounce: “But not for marriage equality. Depending on whose votes they’re seeking, and what time of day it is.” based on the Biden interview. That was, as Stephen might put it, a “cheap, partisan” spin.
Think about this, Steve. Just what demographic was Biden supposedly trying to influence on “Meet the Press”, anyway? Grown-ups with four fingers, two thumbs and ten toes? MTP is followed by most people who follow politics. MTP isn’t like the Advocate, which is clearly aimed at a particular demographic. If the administration’s intent was to have Biden appear on MTP to somehow send a signal to LGBT voters without cluing in the rest of the county, it was an odd choice indeed.
But if Stephen is right, and Biden’s statement was intended as a “signal” to the country that President Obama’s “evolving” might be moving more quickly than most people think it will, that’s a good thing, huh? I’d like to hear the words “I support marriage equality” come out of President Obama’s mouth, and that’s a fact. The sooner the better, too.
posted by Houndentenor on
Obama has always been for civil unions. He seems to think that would provide with all the same rights and privileges of marriage. I don’t agree, but that’s his position. It’s certainly a better position than favoring a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriages (and possible civil unions as well).
posted by clayton on
The White Houses message is indeed confused, but leaves a little wiggle room in the direction of equality. I don’t know whether they room will ever be used, but I’m not Golconda my breath. The message from all Republican candidates, on the other hand, has been perfectly consistent and clear, with no wiggle room at all : no marriage equality ever, under any terms or circumstances. So on this issue, yes, the Republicans are worse.
posted by Jorge on
After reading an article on it, I do not interpret Biden’s words as an endorsement so much as an acceptance of gay marriage laws that have already passed, and a celebration of gays and their well-being. Joe Biden is not and never will be a soldier for gay marriage. Neither has he ever been someone who has said that gay marriage is something we need to prevent or reverse. What he is is a cheerleader.
I’m actually still convinced that Biden’s personal view is that he does not support gay marriage laws. He said as much during the 2008 debate while still speaking very positively about gay rights. Another article I read pointed out that in 2010 he said the country is evolving and gay marriage is probably inevitable. As one of the leading old white liberals of the Democratic party, there is no doubt the link between gay marriage with other progressive social movements that have benefited the country has been brought to his attention. I suspect he opposed (or was neutral on) gay marriage either for personal/religious reasons or because it was too radical.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
The White Houses message is indeed confused …
Coming from a President who taught constitutional law at one of the best law schools in the country, the President’s position on marriage equality is nonsensical and has been for years …
He got it right on DOMA, and that’s good, but it is time for him to “evolve, already”.
posted by JohnInCA on
/shrug
I’ll still take the confused message that won’t support DOMA over the confused message that wants a constitutional amendment.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
“Over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” – Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, May 9, 2012
posted by Houndentenor on
Well, well, well. Looks like he just DID!
The best part of being a cynic is that from time to time people do the right thing and it’s an amazingly pleasant surprise!
posted by Mark D. Fulwiler on
The Log Cabin Republicans apparantly can’t take good news and are criticizing Obama over his timing. And Dan Savage is criticizing Obama for not saying he favors forcing the states to adopt gay marriage. Boy, you just can’t win with some people!