Obama's church buddies on his new gay marriage stance

[libalchris]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/14/us/pol...-risk.html

About two hours after declaring his support for same-sex marriage last week, President Obama gathered eight or so African-American ministers on a conference call to explain himself. He had struggled with the decision, he said, but had come to believe it was the right one.

The ministers, though, were not all as enthusiastic. A vocal few made it clear that the president’s stand on gay marriage might make it difficult for them to support his re-election.

What the fuck is this? What whenever the president decides to support equal rights he has to go talk to ministers to calm them down?

After complaints from Catholic leaders that the health insurance mandate attacked their faith, Mr. Obama offered a compromise that would maintain coverage for contraception but not require religious organizations to pay for it, but critics remained dissatisfied.

I mean seriously, what the fuck! Why does it feel like churches are running this country even with a liberal in office?

[jackman]

they're apparently NOT running his post, which is why they disagree with his position. he fought thru knowing to separate his religion and his rule and if those ministers were able to do that, perhaps they'd be in elected office.

[libalchris]

they're apparently NOT running his post, which is why they disagree with his position. he fought thru knowing to separate his religion and his rule and if those ministers were able to do that, perhaps they'd be in elected office.

Yes, and I'm glad he finally got the balls to do that, but it still tells you something when, after announcing his new position on gay marriage, he had to run back and make a conference call with ministers to try and convince them to continue supporting his campaign, and had to try and make a deal with the Catholic church to please them.

They clearly don't have complete control, but it kind of shows how much control they have.

[Annik]

The Catholic thing was actually from that giant birth control debate, not from the pro-gay marriage stance Obama took.

[jackman]

yeah, he has the tendency to try to go smooth things over after he does what he's going to do. that part doesn't bother me as much as if he wouldn't have shown his support in the first place. however, i don't think he's without balls at all. i think he's shown quite the pair and has demonstrated it plenty of times.

[libalchris]

The Catholic thing was actually from that giant birth control debate, not from the pro-gay marriage stance Obama took.

In this case it was part of trying to appease the Catholic church for his new stance on gay marriage, at least that's what i understood from reading the article

[Annik]

This was proposed along with the health care bill a while ago. I actually thought it was very fair, as it made the insurance companies pick up the slack. Wasn't good enough for the Catholics, I guess.

[libalchris]

yeah, he has the tendency to try to go smooth things over after he does what he's going to do. that part doesn't bother me as much as if he wouldn't have shown his support in the first place. however, i don't think he's without balls at all. i think he's shown quite the pair and has demonstrated it plenty of times.

I agree, and the point of this thread was not to bash Obama. It's more to show the kind of influence churches have in our politics. I'd definitely take Obama's "I'm supporting gay marriage now let's try and smooth things over with the church so I can stay in office" over him not saying anything at all.

---

This was proposed along with the health care bill a while ago. I actually thought it was very fair, as it made the insurance companies pick up the slack. Wasn't good enough for the Catholics, I guess.

Ok, I see what happened

[jackman]

I agree, and the point of this thread was not to bash Obama. It's more to show the kind of influence churches have in our politics. I'd definitely take Obama's "I'm supporting gay marriage now let's try and smooth things over with the church so I can stay in office" over him not saying anything at all.

it didn't sound like that was the focus, but i'm glad you clarified anyway. sometimes i wish he'd just stick his dick on the table and tell everyone to suck it while he governs what is right (not needing to worry about being re-elected again), which i have a sneaking suspicion he will do if wins in november. we'll see ...

[Minimalist]

he had to run back and make a conference call with ministers

I'd like to see these fuckheaded black ministers vote for Romney because of this.
Romney would use those fucks to clean the bottoms of his shoes.