# Obama officially backs repeal of DOMA **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 19, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626 "2011-07-19T20:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/41 "2011-07-21T16:12:40Z")
**Shodan** , your opinion is based on conjecture stemming from your cynically never being able to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on anything at all. It is merely your opinion, and it is not particularly credible. You don’t know to what degree Obama is sincere. It is pure speculation. I agree that Obama is going to time carefully when he supports something and when he doesn’t. That’s pragmatic, and not necessarily cynical at all. There are plenty of scenarios where Obama is sincere and still times his statements as did. Cynicism is not required to explain his actions. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/42 "2011-07-21T16:19:11Z")
I don’t care if he’s sincere or not. It’s the right thing to do. I’m happy when people do the right thing even if it’s for obnoxious or insincere reasons. Whine all you want about “But he doesn’t really _meeeeaaaan_ it.” He can not mean it all he wants, as long as he gets it done. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/43 "2011-07-21T16:49:11Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > **Shodan** , your opinion is based on conjecture stemming from your cynically never being able to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on anything at all. It is merely your opinion, and it is not particularly credible. > > You don’t know to what degree Obama is sincere. It is pure speculation. No, actually it is not “pure speculation” at all. I have given the reasons I believe that what I have said is true. Some have even agreed with me, even if they voted for Obama. So my opinion is a little more credible than you would like. So it goes. And you have not addressed the basic issue - if Obama is so all-fired sincere about repealing DOMA, why did he wait until after it was clear that he was not going to be able to bring it off? > [@](#): > > I agree that Obama is going to time carefully when he supports something and when he doesn’t. That’s pragmatic, and not necessarily cynical at all. Waiting until circumstances make it impossible to do something is “pragmatic”? You have a unique understanding of that term. > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > He can not mean it all he wants, as long as he gets it done. Well, isn’t that the point? Obama has waited until it is pretty clear that he will **not** get it done. Back two years ago, maybe. For the next two years, probably not. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/44 "2011-07-21T16:57:03Z")
The Respect for Marriage Act was introduced in September 2009, by the way. It was referred to committee in October and that was the end of it. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/45 "2011-07-21T17:29:06Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, isn’t that the point? Obama has waited until it is pretty clear that he will **not** get it done. Back two years ago, maybe. For the next two years, probably not. Don’t care. Would have preferred it two years ago; will take it now. It’s a hell of a lot better than we’d have got under any Republican president. ---
**Author:** ![Cyclone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Cyclone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyclone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/46 "2011-07-21T21:09:32Z")
> [@howye](#): > > So you would in essence cast a vote for the party that actually would do away with social security and medicare? ahhh, the eternal problem of the Democratic circle firing squad. What kind of cuts are we talking about? Obama has always been a compromiser, he does not let perfect stand in the way of the good. I can envision certain cuts to those programs, how about raising the retirement age? People live longer than they did fifty years ago and what was meant as a short term retirement program is paying out much longer than anticipated. You would need to have provisions for those working in professions in which age becomes a hazard or prevents them from working altogether, but I bet something could be figured out. > > But oh, to have a rational talk, like adults do, means losing voters in a snit. The same thing applies to DOMA. Obama has done plenty to advance the rights of gays and lesbians in this country, but he is given almost no credit for it. Until now has there been a bill in Congress to repeal DOMA? I am guessing there has been nothing with real support behind it. This effort will go nowhere, but Obama clearly believes that the legislative solution needed to be started by Congress and then he could voice his support. > > To those who say he could have done something about DOMA earlier, tell me when? When the Democrats controlled both houses, but the Republicans filibustered who to order lunch from? You might recall that there were, and are, some pressing financial issues this country is facing and Obama was already criticized for “trying to do much.” Since then he has been faced with a House that is willing to see the country face financial ruin rather than compromise, do you think they were going to pass a repeal of DOMA? Obama has never as President had a chance to repeal DOMA. Someone in Congress has sponsored a bill repealing DOMA and it is getting some real attention, so Obama takes the opportunity to support it. That costs him no votes he was going to get anyways and signals a change in his long standing personal beliefs. It goes further to making it a campaign issue in which the Republicans and the TeaPers are further away from the mainstream. I am a life-long Democrat, and so is half our family, (the other half is ‘misinformed’). Frankly, give LGBT whatever they want. Their agenda is a simple request for the rights every citizen is guaranteed. I think we are all tired of talking about it. I am happy DADT is repealed, we have a family member that was very affected by the whole mess. The New Deal began a series of legislation from Social Security to Medicare and Medicaid, and finally to The Affordable Care Act. I will vote the straight Democratic ticket because there is no where else for me to go. I am a party person, the candidate does not matter as long as they tow the Democratic line. President Obama’s actions regarding “modification” of the BIG 3 are all wrong. These issues should not even be on the table. If Obama fucks with these programs, he is going to get a fight in the 2012 primary. I understand Hillary Clinton might be available. I have stopped sending money to the Democratic Party, and I have plastered my reasons in giant letters on two of their recent fund raising surveys. As I have said before, I may be ‘too busy’ on election day in November to remember to vote. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/47 "2011-07-21T22:09:55Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And you have not addressed the basic issue - if Obama is so all-fired sincere about repealing DOMA, why did he wait until after it was clear that he was not going to be able to bring it off? I think this is what people are talking about when they say you would never give Obama the benefit of the doubt. He has said for some time that he’s had mixed feelings about gay marriage and that his feelings are evolving with time. While I’m certainly not going to claim I know what’s going on in his head, isn’t it _possible_ that he announced it when he actually felt it? Even if the timing happens to suck with relation to his being able to do anything about it? ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/48 "2011-07-22T00:10:58Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And you have not addressed the basic issue - if Obama is so all-fired sincere about repealing DOMA, why did he wait until after it was clear that he was not going to be able to bring it off? > Waiting until circumstances make it impossible to do something is “pragmatic”? You have a unique understanding of that term. He couldn’t have passed it back when the Democrats were in charge of Congress either. There are enough anti-gay Democrats to have kept it from happening. The circumstances have been impossible the entire Obama administration. The Democrats are pushing it now because when it fails they can blame the Republicans, and meanwhile push the ball further along. A similar act was brought up in the House in 2009. It got 91 cosponsors, but they didn’t push for it because they didn’t have the votes. Obama had nothing to do with it. He did things that were in his power, such as providing benefits for same-sex spouses where possible, and including children of same-sex couples as family members for various purposes. And he dropped the legal defense of DOMA in the courts. Which are pragmatic steps to advance the cause of gay rights. Nothing Obama could have done would have resulted in DOMA being repealed by now. Several things he has done have probably made repeal more likely to happen than if he had done nothing. There are probably things he could have done that would be even better. Meanwhile, support for same-sex marriage has been rapidly increasing during the Obama administration. He’s certainly not the primary cause for the increase, but I think having him in office has been helping it along. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/49 "2011-07-22T00:20:11Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Nothing Obama could have done would have resulted in DOMA being repealed by now. Several things he has done have probably made repeal more likely to happen than if he had done nothing. There are probably things he could have done that would be even better. Meanwhile, support for same-sex marriage has been rapidly increasing during the Obama administration. He’s certainly not the primary cause for the increase, but I think having him in office has been helping it along. Agreed. I think it’s easy to forget how rapidly public opinion is shifting on this issue. It’s really fast. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626/50 "2011-07-22T17:45:33Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Agreed. > > I think it’s easy to forget how rapidly public opinion is shifting on this issue. It’s really fast. There’s no doubt in my mind that nation-wide legal gay marriage is inevitable. It’s just a matter of time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-officially-backs-repeal-of-doma/589626.md?page=2)