(The Daily Beast) -- Obama is arguing that gay marriage should be handled at the state level, but the president’s fence straddling gives cover to opponents, and removes his own much-needed moral authority from the debate, says Kerry Eleveld.
President Barack Obama didn’t want to say whether he thinks same-sex marriage is a civil right after being asked at a news conference last week. To deny it would inflame equality advocates both straight and gay. To admit it would be an undeniable endorsement of gay marriage as a fundamental freedom that’s protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Instead, the president has been making a federalist argument for why the issue should be handled at the state level, despite the fact that the same rationale has historically served as a roadblock to civil-rights' advancements.
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Put another way in a column penned by Richard Just last year, “While he may not realize it, Obama is already leading on gay marriage; he is just leading in the wrong direction. Every time Obama or a surrogate reiterates his position, it reinforces the idea that gay marriage is a bit too scary for the political mainstream.”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/07/06/obama-argues-federalist-approach-but-states-rights-wrong-for-marriage-equality.html
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Put another way in a column penned by Richard Just last year, “While he may not realize it, Obama is already leading on gay marriage; he is just leading in the wrong direction. Every time Obama or a surrogate reiterates his position, it reinforces the idea that gay marriage is a bit too scary for the political mainstream.”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/07/06/obama-argues-federalist-approach-but-states-rights-wrong-for-marriage-equality.html
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