Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
#1Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 7:56pm
I feel like going up to Obama, Pelosi and Reid and screaming, "I TOLD YOU SO! YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME! I WARNED YOU!"
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Associated Press
Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
By TAMMY WEBBER, Associated Press Writer
Sun Oct 24, 2:38 pm ET
CHICAGO – Kate Coatar is seriously considering voting for Green Party candidates instead of Democrats, whom she normally supports. James Wyatt won't cast a ballot at all because he no longer trusts anyone to fight for causes important to him.
If Democratic candidates are counting on long-standing support from gay voters to help stave off big losses on Nov. 2, they could be in for a surprise.
Across the country, activists say gay voters are angry — at the lack of progress on issues from eliminating employment discrimination to uncertainty over serving in the military to the economy — and some are choosing to sit out this election or look for other candidates.
President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago, with its large, politically and socially active gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, offers a snapshot of what some are calling the "enthusiasm gap" between voters who came out strong for Obama and other Democrats in 2008 and re-energized Republican base voters, including tea party enthusiasts who say they are primed to storm the polls.
It didn't help that the controversy over the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays erupted less than two weeks before the election, when a judge overturned it, then Obama's justice department decided to fight the judge's decision. On Thursday, the Defense Department declared that "don't ask, don't tell" is official policy but set up a new system that could make it tougher to get thrown out of the military for being openly gay.
"It's all talk and nothing's happening, and I'm just over it," said Coatar, 62, a church business manager who said she's as concerned about health care and homelessness as about gay issues. "I don't know who to vote for and the election is a week away."
Wyatt, 35, a maintenance worker at the Center on Halsted, a community center serving Chicago's GLBT community, said politicians only court gay voters at election time.
"Once they're elected, they're not fighting for things like civil unions or same-sex marriage or ending 'don't ask, don't tell' because they're hot-button issues," said Wyatt, who usually supports Democrats. "We're just used as a piggyback for them to get into office. It's absurd."
Whether or not that's the case, Wyatt isn't the only one who feels that way.
And in places like Cook County, Ill., where the gay population represents about 7 percent of voters, that could mean the difference between victory and defeat in some races, said Rick Garcia, director of public policy for Equality Illinois. One of those races is a much-watched and close battle for Obama's old Senate seat between Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk.
"If (candidates) can mobilize the gay community and get them out to vote, it could make all the difference in the world in some of these key races," said Garcia....
A message left Friday with the Democratic National Committee seeking comment was not immediately returned....
REST OF ARTICLE AT LINK
AP: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#2Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 8:18pmI'm as peediohdeed as the next voter (I swear, I will never donate $ to another candidate ever again), but talking to a 62 year old church manager and a 35 year old maintenance worker does not "offer a snapshot" of Chicago's large, politically active glbt community, no matter how much Tammy Webber suggests it does.
#2Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 8:54pmSo having ultra conservative Republicans in office will make it better? I just saw a debate for Fla governor and the Republican candidate said he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman and that gay couples should not be able to adopt. His Democratic opponent said otherwise. Anyway, I can understand the frustration.
#3Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 9:37pm
Click on the link. In the second half of the article there are quotes from Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois, Tracy Baim of Windy City Times and Robin McGehee of GetEQUAL.
(Oh--and whatever you do, don't read the comments.)
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#4Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 9:43pmThe thing is, if there actually were any significant voting power in the LBGT communities, we wouldn't be taken for granted the way we are. I think we believed The Advocate advertising rate packets to our own detriment.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#5Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 9:45pmWhy do you think Clinton, who instituted DADT and signed the Defense of marriage act gets rave reviews from the gay community when they are so furious at Obama for not repealing them (yet)?
#6Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 9:46pm
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#7Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 9:51pmJoe, do you think it has anything to do with the fact that Clinton was hamstrung by a Republican controlled legislature? And Obama had Democratic-controlled one for two years that he squandered? I think that might be part of it.
#8Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 9:57pm
Geez. I'm not gay, but I was offended by those comments in that article. It's amazing that there are so many ignorant people filled with so much hate in this world.
I can't understand why in the WORLD anyone would throw their vote away on a third party right now - or not vote at all -- the ONLY shot is through the Dems.
#9Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:15pmjason- that was my thought too! This will surely put the Republicans in power and they will do nothing for the gay community- except tell people it is wrong! Geez indeed!
#10Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:18pmEvery election cycle, the media tries to anoint a constituency as swinging the election. There's almost never any foundation to it.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#11Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:38pm
"This will surely put the Republicans in power and they will do nothing for the gay community- except tell people it is wrong!"
But the Democrats BEHAVE as if the believe it is wrong. Tomato/tomahto.
Richard Linklatter was onto something with his epigram to "Slacker": "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy."
(Personally, I'm voting because I give a crap about my local politics, it's a good thing this isn't Obama's election year because I would have a really hard time.)
#12Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:40pmI am not happy with the President or the Democratic party right now but I will be damned if I will throw my vote away. I am giving the man a chance. If things don't look good by 2012, he just doesn't get my vote again. (Unless he is the only alternative)
#13Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:44pm
For the record: I am voting a straight Democratic slate, despite my anger at the Democrats for squandering the opportunities the 2008 election gave them, first thing in the morning, as always, because I like my vote to be reflected in the "early returns."
I am only voting a straight Democratic slate because I live in New York and I happen to actually like some of the Democratic candidates.
#14Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:46pmI get it Namo! What political party is openly saying they are completely for gay rights? And does that party even have a chance in the national and local elections? I don't understand why the subject is so taboo. I am not gay and I do not understand how the "gay lifestyle" affects me. My kids don't get that either. If same sex couples get married, or adopt, or whatever- it does not change who I am so why do the politicians run so scared? And why do they incite so much hate?
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#15Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:47pmI'm not sure people outside of the glbtq community can quite grasp how it taps into culturally inculcated self-loathing to have to make an active choice that supports the party whose president records an "It Gets Better" video and then doesn't call off his DOJ lawyers on DADT. Whether or not it's procedural, whether or not he's crossing the T's, it feeds into the overall sense of unworthiness, of being less than. I could almost accept, begrudgingly, the "doing it right" argument, but the man seems to want advance praise for something he says he'll do "on his watch" long before it comes to fruition.
#16Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 10:53pmYeah- I understand what you're saying. When I was growing up- I was the only Jewish kid in my class. I'm in the bible belt. I remember kids saying they couldn't play with me because I killed Jesus. I didn't understand that at all just like I don't understand this hatred for the gay community. I hope Obama gets re-elected and then maybe he will make these changes in his next term.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#17Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:08pmAnd if Phyllis were here she'd point out he's doing EXACTLY what he said he'd do and intimated he would do when he said he was against gay marriage and had the ex-gay at his inauguration. I can tell you I would never have sent Obama money if he'd said, "Yes we CAN! If I get elected to a second term."
#18Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:12pm
Proud Libertarian here. I sincerely believe that the party lives up to its moniker of the Party of Principle. No, I'm not gay but I've been a member of an racial minority group in this great nation my entire life so I've had my own cross to bear. IMO the Dems takes their gay voting bloc for granted and have already accounted for any likely attrition from the ranks. For a party that carries the banner of a "big tent", we're unlikely to see an openly gay or lesbian candidate for party's nomination post-Obama supported by the party brass.
Libertarians Opposed to DOMA/DADT
siny
Broadway Star Joined: 2/8/07
#19Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:15pm
I just love it how a guy who has not even been in the office for 2 years is expected to fix everything that's gone wrong in the last 10. But I hope y'all enjoy it under the Tea Party rule. I am pretty sure all of those characters actively oppose gay marriage/adoption/equality/military service, but at least you know where they stand, uh-huh.
BTW, in response to the comment above, Clinton also had 2 years of Democratic House and Senate before the 1994 realignment. Maybe the problem here is that the Democrats never have enough time to accomplish anything while Republicans have too much time in the majority to do major harm.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#20Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:16pm
Funny how you changed the headline. What the one on your link ACTUALLY says is:
Libertarians Suggest They Would Repeal Gay Marriage Ban DOMA, DADT
#21Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:25pm
OK Namo, u caught my slight of hand
Seriously, the LP has been consistent on this issue for more than a minute now.
#22Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:27pm
He HAD to do it in the 1st two years, because the 2nd two years are always about making sure you have a 2nd eight years.
Actually he had to do it in the 1st first year, because this 2nd year is about making sure the Democrats have another 2 years, which is unlikely this year on account of how stinky they were last year and the year before.
So when he says he's going to do it on his "watch," I wonder which watch he's looking at and whether he thinks he's going to do it in his 2nd two years or his 2nd four years.
Either way, I really can't ever see him ever doing it at all....unless we're looking at the 2nd two years of his 2nd four years.
And that puts us at 2015-16.
#23Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:41pm
"Either way, I really can't ever see him ever doing it at all....unless we're looking at the 2nd two years of his 2nd four years.
And that puts us at 2015-16."
PJ, I agree with u 100%, bro, but what is a viable alternative to waiting? How do we vet & elect folks to the Congress who will do the right thing? In other words, how can the Dems buy gay-friendly congressional seats?
Earlier in my life I dismissed the LP as a bunch of loonies but the candidates it produces seem to be the only ones willing to act on principles, at least at the local & state levels. Bob Barr for POTUS a couple of years back was a mistake on several levels but I digress.
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#24Associated Press: Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election
Posted: 10/24/10 at 11:42pm
Thus spaketh the prophet.
"I am pretty sure all of those characters actively oppose gay marriage/adoption/equality/military service, but at least you know where they stand, uh-huh."
Actively? Passively? If there's one thing gay people know about it's how little discernible difference there is between tops and bottoms.
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