One of my favorite episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm is when Larry seemingly unwittingly falls in and out of favor with the lesbian community. I think tonight's ragefest about Obama and his gay joke underscores how this kind of stuff really does happen--not just in David's sick (yet hilarious) mind.
So President Obama made a joke tonight about going off to Iowa and getting a gay marriage.
"I tear up a little bit, when I think back to that day when I called Ax and I said, 'You and I can do wonderful things together'. And he said to me the thing partners across America are saying to one another right now: 'Let's go to Iowa and make it official'," Mr. Obama said.
First of all the most important thing to realize is that, for the first time EVER, an openly gay comedian, Wanda Sykes was selected to give the roast.
With that in mind, let's analyze here.
It seems to be that the major argument against it goes something like this:
Obama has abandoned the gay movement, and has reniged on campaign promises and Obama is not doing anything the help support marriage equality
Therefore, he has no right to make this joke
Since I find the conclusion to be the least important, and most divisive part of the argument, let me just analyze the premises.
Has Obama really reniged on his promise to be a President not just for straight people but for all people?
Well le'ts see...
He has made a personal promise to repeal DADT, reaffirming his campaign promise.
Hate Crimes Legislation has passed the House. If it passes the senate he will sign it. I imagine he is not a passive bystander here.
Also apparently the HRC seems to think he has a cogent plan to advance the gay rights agenda:
The White House, aware of the discontent, invited leaders of some prominent gay rights organizations to meet Monday with top officials, including Jim Messina, Mr. Obama’s deputy chief of staff, to plot legislative strategy on the hate crimes bill as well as "don’t ask, don’t tell." Among those attending was Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, who said afterward that while the gay rights agenda might not be "unfolding exactly as we thought," he was pleased.
"They have a vision," Mr. Solmonese said. "They have a plan."
So it appears to be unfair to say that he has abandoned his gay rights promises. In fact, he appears to be making measured steps toward accomplishing everything he set out to do. Moreover, there are indications that he may be open to changing his position on marriage equality.
While premise true may be true (we really have no clue about how Obama really feels on the subject, as there is so much pretending that politicians have to do about their own perosnal view...see the strikingly small number of atheists in congress as an example)...I submit the best way to convince him to change is not to write posts calling him an offensive fraud. It's working with groups like the HRC, it's grassroots organizing. Obama's policy on marriage equality seems to me to be "make me do it". Make him do it, don't gripe.
P.S.- The biggest thing that Obama can do is appoint a LGBT friendly justice to the SCOTUS. Let's help him make the right decision.