Posted on 05/14/2012 11:18:05 AM PDT by Kaslin
Barney Frank told the panel on ABC’s This Week that “I don’t think anyone’s vote was changed” when Barack Obama endorsed the legalization of same-sex marriage — but that might be too optimistic an analysis. The New York Times reports that the White House went on a charm offensive with leaders of faith organizations, including and perhaps especially African-American churches where opposition to gay marriage runs high. So far, the charm offensive has had mixed results:
About two hours after declaring his support for same-sex marriage last week, President Obama gathered eight or so African-American ministers on a conference call to explain himself. He had struggled with the decision, he said, but had come to believe it was the right one.
The ministers, though, were not all as enthusiastic. A vocal few made it clear that the presidents stand on gay marriage might make it difficult for them to support his re-election. …
In the end, Mr. Coates, who supports civil marriages for gay men and lesbians, said that most of the pastors, regardless of their views on this issue, agreed to work aggressively on behalf of the presidents campaign. But not everyone. Gay marriage is contrary to their understanding of Scripture, Mr. Coates said. There are people who are really wrestling with this.
This was the danger of going on the record, a danger Obama’s allies on the Left apparently discounted. Obama drove turnout in 2008 in part through the enthusiastic participation of these very same churches. Having now sided with the people who call these black pastors and congregations “bigots,” especially in North Carolina where two-thirds of black voters supported Amendment One, Obama is not at risk of having them flip to Mitt Romney — but he does risk losing that enthusiasm, fundraising, and organization.
It’s not just about the policy itself, either. The churches now wonder whether Obama will back efforts to force churches to perform same-sex marriages, a topic which one religious leader broached with the President during one of the calls:
Some of the faith communities are going to be afraid that this is an attack against religious liberty, Mr. Hunter remembered telling the president.
Absolutely not, Mr. Obama insisted. Thats not where were going, and thats not what I want.
Really? The Obama administration’s track record on religious freedom singularly argues otherwise. Most recently, the White House stabbed their allies in health-care reform in the Catholic Church in the back by using the ObamaCare law that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops supported to create a mandate that requires church organizations to pay for contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients. Even more to the point, the Obama administration tried to apply the ADA to force a church to rehire a minister they’d terminated, an attempt that got a 9-0 rebuke from the Supreme Court.
The only time this President is solicitous of religious freedom and principles is when he’s trying to cover his own rear end.
On the other hand, Obama’s declaration has resulted in a lot of enthusiasm at churches … for Romney, as Andrew Malcolm explains:
Near the end of the competitive part of the recent Republican presidential primary season, Gov. Mitt Romney began showing growing support among evangelical voters. The Mormon had been losing that influential portion of the GOP base by lopsided proportions. Not anymore.
Thank you, Barack Obama. …
In a major examination of evangelical support for Romney the Deseret News Sunday quoted several Southern academics. Dave Woodard of Clemson University called Obama’s carefully-staged statement a gift for Romney highlighting his candidacy’s uniqueness in supporting traditional marriage.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s sealed the deal,” with most evangelical voters, Woodard told the paper. “I think he can make up for any other problems he has with them with just this one issue.”
Woodard added: “There is beginning to be some genuine enthusiasm for Mitt Romney. They’re not just going to talk about his Sunday morning activities. He has the convictions on the issues they like.”
Newsweek may have crowned Obama with a secular halo this weekend, but he’s not getting hosannas from the churches — and that might be all it takes to send Obama into retirement in January 2013.
WH getting blowback
Black Pastor Tells CNN His Church Wont Support Obama, Plan To Stay Home
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/black-pastor-tells-cnn-his-church-wont-support-obama-plan-to-stay-home/
What? Is the rate of black america voting for him going do drop to 92%? He shoulda kept it on the down lo’!
“There isnt a single black in this country wholl vote GOP,”
I know of at least 2 that will. However, your point is well taken!
Some of the faith communities are going to be afraid that this is an attack against religious liberty, Mr. Hunter remembered telling the president.
Absolutely not, Mr. Obama insisted. Thats not where were going, and thats not what I want.
Anyone seen or heard from former Rep. Bart Stupak?
I wonder if my co-workers saw me turn white as a ghost and get a sick look on my face when I heard that.
Yes, that’s how I looked!!! lol
Congressman Allan West must be, so must be Tim Scott, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker, Larry Elder, Walter E. Williams, Ken Blackwell and many more
You’re missinformed my friend.
10% have stated they WILL NOT vote for him!
Depending on the consentration, that could be significant.
Many fail to recognize the power of the block that stays home.
Which is why I was so hard on the anti-Romney crowd here.
“Nice try Barry! There isnt a single black in this country wholl vote GOP . . . “
Someday I’ll have to introduce you to my sister-in-law.
But even among Black democrats, a certain number that normally vote reflexively for the Democrat candidate are going to sit this one out to protest The Won’s support for same-sex marraige. And Barry cannot afford to lose a single vote this time around.
So, yeah. This’ll hurt him.
Everyone one you named, and then some, were who popped into my mind immediately.
White House to black churches, “bend over.”
I stand corrected and duly chastised. LOL
And those are just the known ones........there are many, many more who’s name is not going to appear on such a list.
I so dislike such broad brushing, particularly when discussing the touchy issue of race. It just gives the left one more “talking point” to label conservatives as racists.
There was another one. Her first name is Denise and I believe she ran in 2010 for Congress in CA. I will do a search and see if I can find something
I luv Allen West! Stay tuned for more and more of him.
People are individuals and each chooses with the precious gift of free will, how to live their lives. Some conditioning is very difficult to shake off. But it is a fact that there are rational conservatives of every color. Blanket statements do a disservice to all rational conservatives.
Provincetown tee shirt sales way up!
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