[iRyan]

History is made, Obama is the first US president to say he supports same sex marriage!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_1...-sex-marriage/

(CBS News) -- President Obama says his position on same-sex marriage has evolved.

Three days after Vice President Joe Biden said he is "absolutely comfortable" with two men or two women getting married, Mr. Obama told ABC News in a hastily arranged interview that "same sex couples should be able to get married."

"I have to tell you that 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," Mr. Obama said in an interview with Robin Roberts broadcast in a special report this afternoon. More from the interview will be broadcast tonight and tomorrow morning.

The president, who had previously said his position on the matter is "evolving,"is now the first sitting U.S. president to back the rights of same-sex couples to marry.


"You know when I go to college campuses, sometimes I talk to college Republicans who think that I have terrible policies on the economy, on foreign policy, but are very clear that when it comes to same sex equality or, you know, believe in equality. They are much more comfortable with it. You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we're talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents would be treated differently. It doesn't make sense to them and frankly, that's the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective," he said.
In 1996, as a candidate for the state Senate in Illinois, Obama offered "unequivocal" support for same-sex marriage but later changed his position.

As a candidate for president in 2008, Mr. Obama said he supports civil unions, but declined to back same-sex marriage.

When he signed the legislation repealing the Pentagon's 1993 law prohibiting openly gay members of the military, Mr. Obama was asked about his opposition to same-sex marriage and said his "feelings about this are constantly evolving."

"I struggle with this. I have friends, I have people who work for me who are in powerful, strong, long-lasting gay or lesbian unions. And they are extraordinary people. And this is something that means a lot to them and they care deeply about," he said about a year and a half ago.

Pressure again mounted on Mr. Obama to explain his position after Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan essentially backed same-sex marriage this week.

Biden told NBC Sunday that "I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties."

Duncan told MSNBC Monday he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to get married. Asked why he had never said so publicly before, he said "I don't know if I've ever been asked."

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ABC News said Roberts asked if First Lady Michelle Obama had a role in his decision.

"This is something that, you know, we've talked about over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way, she feels the same way that I do. And that is that, in the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people and, you know, I, you know, we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that's what we try to impart to our kids and that's what motivates me as president and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I'll be as a as a dad and a husband and, hopefully, the better I'll be as president," he said, according to ABC's website.

The issue complicates Mr. Obama's re-election efforts. Many conservative Democrats in key swing states like North Carolina and Ohio are opposed to same-sex marriage. Voters in North Carolina on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a measure to add an amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions into their Constitution.

At the same time, the president has a multi-million dollar fundraiser this week with actor George Clooney and one with singer Ricky Martin next week. It's likely that many of the donors at those events back same-sex marriage.

Opponents to same-sex marriage accused him of pandering to campaign donors

"We think it's a huge mistake. President Obama is choosing the money over the voters the day after 61 percent of North Carolinians in a key swing state demonstrated they oppose gay marriage," said Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage and director of the Culture War Victory Fund.

Senior administration officials told reporters they were looking for the "right time" to make this announcement and conceded that Biden's remarks expedited the schedule, CBS News chief White House correspondent Norah O'Donnell reports.

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney affirmed his belief that marriage is a union between a man and a woman but declined to comment directly on Mr. Obama's announcement.
"I have the same view on marriage that I had when I was governor and that I expressed many times. I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman," Romney told reporters in Oklahoma after Mr. Obama's interview aired on ABC.

Public attitudes toward same-sex marriage have shifted in the past decade and a half. About 50 percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. In 1996, the figure was just 27 percent.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the decision as "a major turning point in the history of American civil rights."

"No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people - and I have no doubt that this will be no exception," Bloomberg said.

[Shaun]

Good man.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Good man.

Only to get votes

[Callum]

Originally Posted by arista

Only to get votes

Hardly. If anything publicly announcing his support for gay marriage will lose him votes, not gain him any.

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Callum

Hardly. If anything publicly announcing his support for gay marriage will lose him votes, not gain him any.

I don't think so, even with North Carolina banning it yesterday support is gradually increasing for gay marriage in the States and now outweighs the opposition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_...#Polls_in_2012

A May 2012 Gallup Poll showed plurality support for same-sex marriage nationwide, with 50% in favor and 48% opposed.[13]

An April 2012 poll conducted by Pew Research Center showed support for same-sex marriage at 47%, while opposition reached an all-time low of 43%.[14]

A March 2012 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 52% of Americans supported allowing same-sex couples to legally marry, while 44% were opposed.[15]

A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted from February 29 - March 3, 2012 found that 49% of American adults supported allowing same-sex couples to legally marry, with 40% opposed.[16]

That's only going to increase as well, I sort of agree with Arista, I think it's now in the interests of Western leaders to express support for gay marriage, that's why Cameron did it a few months ago

[bbfan1991]

Good on him! America needs to get with the times and try to be more understanding of same sex couples marrying or having civil partnerships.

[BBfanUSA]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I don't think so, even with North Carolina banning it yesterday support is gradually increasing for gay marriage in the States and now outweighs the opposition

That doesn't mean that he'll gain votes still. In America the way we decide a president is by a electoral college. Where depending on how big is a state's population is, the more you'll get for winning that state's popular votes. (IE Cali has 69, NY 43, Montana has 1) The first to reach 200 something delegates they'll win the election. I know it's stupid that it's not popular vote, but in this way every state is represented.

basically republican conservatives will have a chance.

Originally Posted by bbfan1991

Good on him! America needs to get with the times and try to be more understanding of same sex couples marrying or having civil partnerships.

Actually some states allow gay marriage already like New York, California, Iowa. (Via A State's own congress or their supreme court) Other states allow civil partnerships. And I think Mass., Recognizes Gay Marriage as legal but doesn't allow you to marry in their state

[letmein]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I don't think so, even with North Carolina banning it yesterday support is gradually increasing for gay marriage in the States and now outweighs the opposition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_...#Polls_in_2012



That's only going to increase as well, I sort of agree with Arista, I think it's now in the interests of Western leaders to express support for gay marriage, that's why Cameron did it a few months ago

Presidential elections depend on the electoral college, not on a popular vote.

Secondly, the poll taken the day after showed that Obama's support unmoved the electorate. Republicans still hate him, and said that they're even less likely to vote for him now because of this -- like they ever were to begin with. Democrats were the same in their support, as were Independents.

What Obama did was courageous. This will fired up the Evangelical base of the Republican Party, and that hurts Obama. The Right has a big problem with Mitt Romney, the Mormon, and consider him too Liberal. The Right will only support a far-Right Fascist now. Obama's not even a Liberal. There truly isn't a Liberal Party in America. The Right in the UK would be the Democrats in America.

[GypsyGoth]

[Shaun]

Someone, for the love of god, please assassinate the shit out of Rupert Murdoch.

[iRyan]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Someone, for the love of god, please assassinate the shit out of Rupert Murdoch.

So, incredibly ridiculous...I can't even....

[Niall]

[iRyan]

I pray to God he gets re-elected. Romney winning would be an absolute nightmare.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by iRyan

I pray to God he gets re-elected. Romney winning would be an absolute nightmare.

a year or so ago,I thought Obama was likely going to be a one term President but now I would dare bet on him getting a 2nd term.
Not sure what that headline will do for him but I hope he gets elected again too.

[Kizzy]

You would be surprised how influential this shiz is...

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by kizzy

You would be surprised how influential this shiz is...

Thankfully not so much now kizzy,it failed miserably in its campaign to help get David Cameron an overall majority, about time too, it wants to look inside its own enterprise and sort that out rather than get at others.I detest wholly the Sun,always have.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

Thankfully not so much now kizzy,it failed miserably in its campaign to help get David Cameron an overall majority, about time too, it wants to look inside its own enterprise and sort that out rather than get at others.I detest wholly the Sun,always have.

I was rather refering to murdoch in general, and the phone hacking helped in the mistrust of the sun at that time.

[joeysteele]

I don't get why politicians open up wounds on this issue, why don't they just make it that it is legal and make all things equal as to marriage.
Stop talking about it and just do it, end the discriminations as to it now and ignore the prejudice of the Church leaders too.

[Jack_]

Great news.

And as for Fox News...unbelievably, they surpass the Daily Mail at being one of the foulest news sources in existence. Seriously Ryan, do people over there actually watch and enjoy that sh*t? Like...really?

Another unsurprising vile, reactionary and scaremongering headline from Murdoch.

[iRyan]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Great news.

And as for Fox News...unbelievably, they surpass the Daily Mail at being one of the foulest news sources in existence. Seriously Ryan, do people over there actually watch and enjoy that sh*t? Like...really?

Another unsurprising vile, reactionary and scaremongering headline from Murdoch.

Fox News is known for being biased with a conservative Republican agenda. They are the joke of American news, tbh, and rightfully so. Yet all the tea party Republicans still tune in, of course.

[arista]

Originally Posted by iRyan

Fox News is known for being biased with a conservative Republican agenda. They are the joke of American news, tbh, and rightfully so. Yet all the tea party Republicans still tune in, of course.

Yes Like Our Bloated BBC
who back Labour


FoxNewsHD Very Funny to Watch

[Ramsay]

edit : wrong thread lolz

[mrlecturer]

Obama finally in the news for something good.

[Vanessa]

I like Obama!

[Marsh.]

Disgusting.