Obama sits down with the Advocate, after some predictable tantrums from Clinton supporters in the gay press. Money quote:
I actually have been much more vocal on gay issues to general audiences than any other presidential candidate probably in history. What I probably haven’t done as much as the press would like is to put out as many specialized interviews. But that has more to do with our focus on general press than it does on … I promise you the African-American press says the same thing.
He’s right. On every gay issue he’s as good as, if not better than, Clinton. And he does not have her and her husband’s long record of betrayal either. This also means a lot:
An area that I’m very interested in is making sure that federal benefits are available to same-sex couples who have a civil union. I think as more states sign civil union bills into law the federal government should be helping to usher in a time when there’s full equality in terms of what that means for federal benefits.
The Clinton forces have been successful in using the McClurkin affair to sow doubt and fear of Obama among gays. And Clinton follows the classic identity politics playbook of target-niching each interest group. Obama has tried to get beyond it, which is a good thing. Raising gay issues in front of black audiences is further than any candidate has ever gone in defending gay equality in history. (Thank Jeremiah Wright’s influence). And if gay voters actually look at Obama’s record, they will be reassured.
More pertinent: look at his age. The sooner this country’s leadership shifts generations, the more equality gay and lesbian people will have.
The Dish 