Anderson Cooper walks us through the president’s long, slow, and insulting (“God is in the mix”) walk-back of his support for marriage equality:
Totally maddening. I agree 100% with Cleve. But I gotta say…
It’s true that a small-but-growing majority of Americans support marriage equality. But that SBG majority isn’t evenly spread throughout the country. There’s the electoral college to think about, the state-by-state battle for the White House. And the electoral college, like the US Senate, is a powerfully anti-Democratic institution. Something can poll well nationally—single payer, abortion rights, gun control—and still be blocked. Again, I’d like to see the president evolve—evolve back, evolve quickly, evolve tonight—to his previous position on marriage equality. But is it wise to do it in this election cycle? Andrew Cuomo is clearly betting that support for marriage equality will be an asset when he runs for president in 2016 or 2020. But what about now? What about 2012?
I’m not making excuses for the president. I think we should press him, and other opponents of marriage equality, because we got that SBG majority on marriage equality by pressing, marching, arguing, suing, and demonstrating. But… if the president doesn’t endorse marriage equality and loses the election, Obama lost the election. If he endorses marriage equality and loses the election, the gays lost the election. Even if it wasn’t marriage equality that lost the election, even if it was the economy or the wars or irresistibility of the Cain/Santorum ticket, we will be blamed.
Discuss.
MAYBE if Anderson finally came out I’d be more into him poo-pooing the decisions of others. Seriously dude WE ALL KNOW.
Placating bigots to win votes. Fuck this country.
In 2012, The National Popular Vote bill could guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections.
All the electoral votes from all the enacting states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC. The bill would take effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes– enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538).
The bill uses the power given to each state by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution to change how they award their electoral votes for president. Historically, virtually all of the major changes in the method of electing the President, including ending the requirement that only men who owned substantial property could vote and 48 current state-by-state winner-take-all laws, have come about by state legislative action.
The bill has passed 31 state legislative chambers in 21 small, medium-small, medium, and large states, including one house in AR, CT, DE, DC, ME, MI, NV, NM, NY, NC, and OR, and both houses in CA, CO, HI, IL, NJ, MD, MA ,RI, VT, and WA . The bill has been enacted by DC, HI, IL, NJ, MD, MA, VT, and WA. These 8 jurisdictions possess 77 electoral votes– 29% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
http://www.NationalPopularVote.com
In 2012, The National Popular Vote bill could guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states (and DC).
Every vote, everywhere, would be politically relevant and equal in presidential elections.
All the electoral votes from all the enacting states would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and DC. The bill would take effect when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes– enough electoral votes to elect a President (270 of 538).
The bill uses the power given to each state by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution to change how they award their electoral votes for president. Historically, virtually all of the major changes in the method of electing the President, including ending the requirement that only men who owned substantial property could vote and 48 current state-by-state winner-take-all laws, have come about by state legislative action.
The bill has passed 31 state legislative chambers in 21 small, medium-small, medium, and large states, including one house in AR, CT, DE, DC, ME, MI, NV, NM, NY, NC, and OR, and both houses in CA, CO, HI, IL, NJ, MD, MA ,RI, VT, and WA . The bill has been enacted by DC, HI, IL, NJ, MD, MA, VT, and WA. These 8 jurisdictions possess 77 electoral votes– 29% of the 270 necessary to bring the law into effect.
http://www.NationalPopularVote.com
A survey of 800 Oregon voters conducted on December 16-17, 2008 showed 76% overall support for a national popular vote for President.
Support was 82% among Democrats, 70% among Republicans, and 72% among independents.
By age, support was 67% among 18-29 year olds, 68% among 30-45 year olds, 82% among 46-65 year olds, and 76% for those older than 65.
By gender, support was 81% among women and 71% among men.
http://nationalpopularvote.com/pages/polls…