Hillary Clinton on LGBT Teens — Page 2

You know, Obama and Clinton both have their pros and minuses.

I really have a hard time deciding between them.

I've been leaning more towards Clinton in the past week, but now I'm swaying toward Obama. But I really just hope with every fiber of my being that the Democratic nominee gets elected.

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Obama fans refuse to believe that the man made a calculatedly political decision to throw his LGBT supporters under the bus briefly in order to woo a black Christian audience that dwarfs the number of gays and lesbians who would be offended.

I'll vote for him if he;s the nominee, but I will always remember how he behaved.

I have to assume that when it comes to the Inaugural, Obama would invite Donnie McClurkin over Maya Angelou, who was the first person to speak of lesbians and gays at a presidential inauguration when she performed "On the Pulse of Morning" at the first Clinton inaugural.

Those were incredible times, Ronin. Our friends were dying, but the people in charge were going to change things.

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"I have a hard time buying that. If that was really his intention, why would he add a gay minister to the campaign tour? When he hand selected McClurkin to draw the homophobic southern black ticket, do you think he was simply hoping nobody gay would notice? Note that this belief is inconsistent with Obama's political methodology, voting record, public statements, etc... as I have said."

I was disappointed in the entire way Obama handled this situation. Even if one accepts Obama's claim that when McKlurkin was asked to perform his views weren't known (something I don't believe)then one has to question what happened afterwards. The only statements from the Obama campaign when the contrerversy first hit was that Mr. McKlurkin would still perform. After the outrage grew he added a gay minister to open the program. He hired a White minister, who was gay, to open with a prayer, before most of the audience had even arrived. No mention was made of the ministers sexuality. What followed was Mr. McKlurkin acted as akind of MC and spouted homophobic comments throughout.
Obama , in trying to get the evangelical black vote in South Carolina basically told his gay and lesbian supporters that he was trying to reach out to everyone.
Would he feel the same way if Hillary asked a bigotted singer to perform in a concert for her and that performer used the concert to spout racist comments? Somehow I think Hillary would be crucified for that. Why is Obama held to different standard?

"I have to assume that when it comes to the Inaugural, Obama would invite Donnie McClurkin over Maya Angelou,"

Do you ACTUALLY believe that sentence? Really and truly?

God LORD, Bill Clinton not only threw the gays over the bus, he threw off the driver, put the thing in reverse and ran over us a couple of times just to make sure he finished the job.

DADT and DOMA are two of the most ridiculous, awful, hateful things done to us in the last decade and a half. And you're all upset over Obama having McClurkin at an event he wasn't even at and at which McClurkin didn't spout anti-gay rhetoric?

Yes...I know. Hillary is not Bill. I get it. But REALLY? THIS is what you hold onto when there was real legislative violence done to us under the Clinton administration?

I'm at a loss.

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DOMA and DADT were compromises to prevent harsher legislation, if not Constitutional Amendments. I don't dismiss that Bill could have taken a much stronger stand for us. I don't dismiss that both Obama and Hillary have made mistakes or have chosen to talk the (necessary?) talk to get elected at the present time.

But, ultimately, Obama, Clinton, or Edwards would be good for the LGBT community. They would certainly be better than any of the GOP candidates.

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PJ--why does any criticism of Hillary automatically result in a criticism of Obama? Can't she be judged as an individual candidate without a "Well, Obama does____"?

Her faults and flaws are her own, just as Obama's are.

And robbiej--Hillary is Bill--that's what she's running on--their collective experience, so in a very real way of her own making, she is Bill.

Again with the What Would Obama Do? Hillary's campaign isn't about what she does in comparison to what he does, is it? I thought it was about change and being ready on the first day and whatever else the polls say.

lildogs--I am not Hillary's campaign. I am me. And I am asking you: Do you honestly think Obama would do more?

I do not. Do you?

That is why I am holding out for Gore.

But please stop insulting me and saying that my words are not mine. They are mine.

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Updated On: 1/30/08 at 12:40 PM

I honestly don't get how McClurkin being invited to speak at a rally that Obama wasn't even at is considered a betrayal and Clinton's signing of DADT and DOMA is a 'ding' created by someone else. I can see feeling betrayed by both. But the anger seems a little lopsided and, well, irrational.

DADT at least SEEMED to be a good intention. DOMA is shameful.

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Probably not, but as you would say, neither did Hillary. So they're equal.

And hon, that's not anything close to an insult to you--I have no idea where you got that.

Poor Richardson. I hear he's the best of all the candidates aside from maybe Kucinich on gay issues and he botched that debate badly.

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Speaking of the T--what are the thoughts here on including them in the LGBT? I have to admit, I'm not sure what I think...