Subscribe to Breaking NewsYour Two Cents: Comments on the Show
Here’s the first of a few posts on what YOU, dear readers, thought of the Presidential Forum and the candidates’ performances…
FROM A STRAIGHT VIEWER (WHO KNEW?)
I am simply thrilled that this event took place. I am thrilled that there is a candidate (Obama) who is sincere about making a positive difference for the LGBT community. I am a straight, Latino male. I’ve never been on this website before. I never heard of this TV/online site before. Thanks to all of those people who organized this event and brought me closer to other allies in the civil rights movement.
Ken Gonzalez
FROM GAYS IN CANADA
As Canadians living in Vancouver, British Columbia, we do not receive LOGO yet. Thank you for putting this on the website.
We thoroughly enjoyed the debate, we just wish there was more time to pursue deeper answers to the questions.
Your country is so fortunate to have such stalwart and wonderful Democratic candidates running for the top position in your country.
We all have opinions and we certainly do not have the ability to vote in your elections. I wish we did. It is for us a close race so far. We felt sorry for Gov. Richardson because he seemed nervous. As for Mr. Obama he answered the questions. John Edwards was forthright and truthful and as for Senator Clinton she brought a new energy to the room and answered the questions like a leader. Unfortunately Representative Kucinich cannot win and that is unfortunate. He has it all. Mr. Gravel should run for congress.
Thank you again. Keep up the great work.
Bob and Lloyd Peacock
AND ON THE REALITY OF GAY MARRIAGE
We all know what acceptance of gay marriage means to all of us who are LGBT. But let’s be honest with ourselves folks about what the issue of gay marriage really means to this election. As unfortunate as this may be, a candidate for President of the United States in 2007 who publicly supports gay marriage in a general election will have a VERY difficult time winning the number of electoral votes needed from the red states to push them over the top. Period. In a primary, it’s a different ballgame. We’d like to think the majority of the country is “ready” for gay marriage, but they’re not. Chapman even said it to Obama..it’s only 44% among YOUNG people (i.e. people who can’t vote!) You know it’s lower among the voting public. Let’s make the progress we CAN make now, and continue to strive towards the next step, which is full and equal marriage under the law. It will come in time..no doubt.
Chris C.
I was very happy with the forum, but I want to ask: where were Joe Biden and Chris Dodd? I think the gay community should hear their viewpoints as well.
… As a print journalist of 35+ yrs. in both the mainstream & gay media on both coasts (17 with “Billboard Magazine” in L.A., Vegas & the Bflo./Rochester, N.Y. markets), I’d like to thank Logo & the HRC for a historic 1st. for broadcasting & politics in the USA. It was professional & well-staged, even emotional-at-times.
- However, who’s this Jason personality, who kept saying “tossing it to you?” Very amateurish & seemed frightened-to-death. Memories of former, inept Paula Zahn on CNN! He needs-a-LOT more rehearsal & polish. The other on-air guy in the audience was slightly better, but enough with-the-”tossing” business. Almost as annoying as Anderson Cooper’s bad breathing techniques!
… Anyhow, keep up the-ground-breaking work. Practice makes perfect!
Sen. Clinton is our only real opportunity for full equality for GLBT Americans. She has the experience, understanding and pragmatism that are needed for her to become the next President. She was the most comfortable with the audience. John Edwards seemed rather condescending. Sen. Obama was OK but not at the level of Sen. Clinton. It was an odd panel with Etheridge wasting much of her time either fawning over the candidates or prefacing her question that lessened its impact. I did like the separate questioning format rather than the usual debate with them all standing behind a podium. It’s too bad that the Republicans have declined a similar invitation. It would be fascinating to hear Rudy and Mitt on these topics. Thank you LOGO for a terrific presentation and for Jason Bellini’s post-forum wrap-up.
Taking a look at the debates from a media perspective, I was grateful to Logo for putting LGBT issues on the political agenda on a national level and from a polar-opposite perspective from the fear marketing of the Republican Party. I just wish CBS on Logo had covered it with a little more commitment to the sense of history the occasion deserved. I blogged about some of the weakness of CBS on Logo’s post-forum coverage at http://www.lifeonq.com.
This was interesting – that Obama seemed to define marriage as a religious term and that it should be separated from church and state. However, the heterosexual relationships (from the beginning of time) get the right to use the religious word “marriage” in state and federal licenses – but homosexuals don’t. So if that is the case… shouldn’t any federal or state endorsed or certified heterosexual relationship remove the word marriage as well? Fine, let the churhces keep their word marriage to themselves – BUT separate church and state for everyone and remove their religious word “marriage” from state and federal licenses and paperwork. Now perhaps then we could call it equality?
I thought Barac Obama was TERRIBLE!!!!what are you people talking about on here,he fumbles and stumbles through his answers and never answers any questions!!he waffles, I dont find him to be a very good speaker!!plus hes AGAINST gay marriage!! he seemed very uneasy to me not relaxed one bit!!I thought Dennis Kucinch was AWSOME!! and I thought Hillary was amazing as well but then again she always is,and much more well spoken then any other canidate!Even though she is for civil unions as well atleast she and Bill have done ALOT for hiv/aids which directly effects the gay community among others!!but im sorry you guys need to wake up on the Obama thing!!if you really want big change I would think Dennis Kucinch would be all about NEW change for the country!Obama should get this more than anyone it was not all that long ago that black and whites could not marry ,how would he feel if they brought that back!!plus he has NO experince it shows!!Why was Melissa Ethridge falling all over him and didnt ask him anything SUBSTANTIAL!!and I usually love Melissa!!
Kucinich and Gravel are the only two who gave HONEST answers and support FULL equality. I will vote for Kucinich in the primary, he was great. Richardsn was awful, but why did Melissa Etheridge ask that STUPID question about whether being gay is a chioce? Who cares! Human rights are not based on biology, we have a right to CHOOSE to be gay or straight if we want! Quit asking that stupid quesion! What a waste of time…
KUCINICH!
Yep I’m with Dave! I love Mike Gravel for openly supporting our community and not staying mired in the lies and prejudice of the past. It is all so ridiculous anyhow- all this ’separate but equal’ crap that constitutes the civil union. As Brandon pointed out, when inter-racial marriage was finally legalized- it was still called ‘marriage’, not interspecies union etc. I am tired of the excuses and America needs to get with the program. Many other countries have granted us full rights. The US needs to step up to the plate and stop dragging behind.
I was very surprised by what I learned tonight. I went in looking for reasons to support
Clinton because she is a woman and I want a woman to be President, finally. Failing that, I was looking for reasons to support Obama because I would like a person of color to be President, finally. I did not find my reasons, despite how hard I looked for them. They spoke as career politicians. Not surprising, but disappointing nonetheless. HC in particular is very skilled at this, but disappointing for that very reason.
Kucinich was for me the clear and absolute winner. He answered the questions put to him directly, intelligently, specifically, and honestly. He is articulate. He provides evidence for what he says. He says what he says and does what he does because he truly believes it is right — because he truly believes in real justice and real equality for all citizens — not because he thinks it will get him votes. That’s the kind of leader I want in my White House. I have no further questions.
David – You are being unreasonable by expecting all the Democratic candidates to fully support gay marriage. Kucinich and Gravel are minor candidates because they are out of the mainstream. Support for gay marriage, while growing, is out of the mainstream. It is the radical gay marriage movement you are advocating that a strong majority of Americans object to, and any candidate that supports it will be defeated. The top candidates, like Hillary, know this, and you should be proud of them for speaking up on something extremely divisive and controversial. They could all be against gay rights and wouldn’t lose any votes – who else do we have to vote for…a Republican like Romney? Instead, they are going on a limb for us – for the LGBT community. And you should at least thank them for that.
I just watched the debates on Logo television. To tell you the truth I am a little dissapointed. I recognize that Mrs. Clinton is a politician but the civil union carrot doesn’t make sense to me.
Being 30, I wasn’t around during the civil rights fights of the 60’s. That being said, I did a bit of research and found nowhere in the legislation that interacial couples were offered civil unions or domestic partnership…Why? Because it is not EQUAL.
I do think this is an all or nothing fight. Your either for equality or your pandering. I always wanted a female president because they choose from their beliefs, like it or not they wil make a decision and stand by it. Men, like Clinton and Bush are and were true politicians, they pander. I feel the civil union or domestic partnership idea is a middle ground. A non biased or non-exclusionary answer. It says to me…She’s not my candidate.
Again in 2008, I will need to vote for the candidate that is less likely harm our cause, that disturbs me.
Thank you Chris C. for your comment. I had similar feelings the entire evening.. and frustration with Joe Solmonese for always attacking them with the marriage issue. A candidate who wants to win the general election CANNOT state his true reason for not wanting to use the word “marriage,” because the reason is that he actually wants to win the vote of the general electorate. If Obama were to be completely honest, I think he would say that he doesn’t want to call it marriage because it would cost him votes, and I think this is the case, an unfortunate reality, but the reality of the world we live in nevertheless. He can’t have his soundbyte be “I actually support marriage, but don’t want to call it that.” He actually DOES support gay marriage… he just doesn’t use the word so he can escape the soundbyte… and what’s wrong with that if that small omission can win us the Presidency in 08?
I’m angry with Joe and HRC that they make marriage their central issue. I don’t want to be “married” in the eyes of any church that rejects me… but I do want my rights guaranteed by the government. There’s a lot more to be done… a lot of smaller battles we could be WINNING right now HRC… if HRC spent less of its energy focusing on that stupid word “marriage.”
Let us all hold our heads up high in gratitude that we have come a long way in our fight for equallity. We need to be extremely proud and humbled that we can now, FINALLY, have a presidential forum soley dedicated to GLBT issues. Now go out and thank an older GLBT community member for the hard work they have done to get us to this historic moment!
I am thoroughly disappointed in the forum presented. Don’t anyone call it a debate, as it had nothing to do with a debate. I am sick and tired of hearing “the country is not ready for gay marriage” from so called Democrats. You either treat me as an equal or stop lying. I am an American citizen. I do not have to, nor should I have to settle for what I can get now. I deserve the same, full, equal protection that every other citizen gets. It’s time that the Democrats realize this. The only two that agree with me, have no chance because they are not “popular”. I would rather waste my money on them than give one penny to Clinton, Obama, or Edwards.