Mitt Romney opposes marriage equality and the federal recognition of married LGBT couples because kids are best raised by a mother and father (or something), but he also opposes a federal amendment banning marriage equality because it would never pass Congress. Romney doesn’t want to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” because it’s a done deal, but he didn’t initially support the repeal either because it inconveniently occurred during two U.S. invasions. And until he signed the National Organization for Marriage’s pledge to vigorously oppose LGBT rights, he used to support marriage equality.
Oh, Mitt. Who can keep up with the many points of view you’ve married, you crazy, waffling Mormon you?
Thumbnail image via Gage Skidmore
TMikel
Romney is a typical heartless and souless politician who will say anything at any time if he thinks it will please a group he feels is important to his election to whatever – in spite of his treatment of his family dog, he would tell you that dogs should be protected by law – if he was running for dog catcher. What politicians in general and especially to current group of GOP/tea party candidates cannot seem to grasp is that their every comment is recorded and video taped for all time and in our current world, what they do and say gets instant coverage around the world. Do we really want people this clueless running our country? Personally, I don’t think Romney has a chance. Ditto Gingrich and the rest of the GOP dunces.
Riker
I’m not seeing all that much inconsistency in his positions. He personally doesn’t believe in same-sex marriage, but doesn’t think it is something Congress should focus on. He didn’t think Congress should get involved in DADT either, but now that its a done deal he acknowledges that reinstating the policy would cause immeasurable harm, since they would be required to kick out thousands of soldiers who now serve openly.
As far as supporting/opposing marriage equality, didn’t Barack Obama also go on the record supporting it, only to later change his mind? It is a game that all politicians have to play. They need to throw as much red meat to the extreme right (or left) wing as they can during the primary, because they are the ones that vote in primaries in large numbers. Then, once they have the nomination, that group is going to vote for them no matter what. So, they all make a mad dash for the middle to try and capture that 15-20% of undecided voters, most of them moderates.
Yeah, Romney plays the game. So does President Obama. I think Romney is doing a better job of it right now, though.
stevoj
@Riker: No, president Obama does not play that game. He once believed that marriage was only between a man and a woman guess what, he and a vast majority of the world was raised that way. But he too has come to understand that same-sex couples are no different than anyone else. The key difference was that he always felt that equality was a moral imperative and that no one (government or otherwise) should deny LGBTQ people the rights that others receive.
So to answer your question, yes he supported marriage equality although he openly admitted that he felt differently and yes he still supports it today.
The sad part is that I think Romney feels the same way. He however is trying to appeal to his base and that is why he consistently contradicts himself.
Enjoy the link: http://pewforum.org/religion08/candidates/barack-obama/
christopher di spirito
President Obama is opposed to same-sex marriage on religious grounds. President Obama’s views are identical to Willard Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.
It’s true that Obama supported same-sex marriage back in his Chicago days but the promise of a US senate job and possibly US president he had to flip-flop and move to the right, the far right and so he did.
That’s why it irks me when Obama says he’s our “fiercest advocate.” Obama is Obama’s fiercest advocate.
kylew
Much as I loathe politicians in general, it must be a very tough job when you are never allowed to change your mind, and opinions you held 20 years ago are still held against you, even when you move beyond them. The rest of us are allowed to grow and mature, but all of us are sceptical when politicians do it.
Primarily because they have such a reputation for being two-faced, lying, manipulative, majority appeasing scumbags. Or is that just how I see them?
Jim
@stevoj: http://blogs.trb.com/news/opinion/chanlowe/blog/evolve.gif
Obama’s not playing games, eh?
bagooka
Why does Mitt waffle so much?
Caliban
@christopher di spirito: It’s disingenuous to claim Obama’s beliefs on gay marriage are “identical” to Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich. It’s also dangerous, since if those people are identical then voting for one of them is no better than voting or any of them, right? Is Obama pursuing passage of DOMA? No. Have Romney, Santorum, or Gingrich said a single respectful thing about gay relationships or couples in the recent past? No. Has Obama. Yes. Is Obama likely to appoint a SCOTUS member who opposes gay marriage? No. Would any one of the GOP candidates appoint a Justice who is hostile to not only gay marriage but gay rights in general? Yes. So it’s intellectually dishonest to claim they are the same on the issue and rather childish to boot, a rhetorical game that’s misleading and only makes YOU look bad.
So stop acting like Veruca Salt and stamping your foot because you didn’t get EVERYTHING you want when you’re in danger of losing everything you do have.
B
No. 6 · Jim wrote, “Obama’s not playing games, eh?”
Of course he’s playing games – he’s running for office isn’t he? What he did was to say that his personal belief was that marriage was between a man and a woman (with a vaguely stated caveat that his personal belief would evolve with time, more or less tracking public opinion) but then noted that restrictions on rights should not be put into constitutions, whether at the state or federal level. So he opposed California Proposition Eight but said that he personally thought marriage should be between a man and a woman.
He was just sending the social conservatives some “warm, fuzzy” feelings while also indicating that he took constitutional principles such as equal protection under the law very seriously and wouldn’t let his personal beliefs negatively impact his job performance.
The question one should ask is if Romney (as a Mormon) would do the same thing – keep his private religious beliefs private. Unfortunately, the Mormon Church’s involvement in Proposition Eight, pressuring members to donate large sums of money, raises some questions as to whether Romney would place equal protection and separation of church and state above his personal religious beliefs.
tjr101
“But, but Obama”
This is the typical response of gay Republicans when trying to defend the waffling bigots in their party. Last I checked Obama has passed more LGBT friendly legislation and implemented more LGBT friendly policies than any other president before him. To compare the president’s record on gay rights with the likes of scum like Mitt Romney is quite disingenuous.
An Ella Fan
@christopher di spirito “President Obama’s views are identical to Willard Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.”
Did you go off your meds? Again??
Riker
@An Ella Fan: Perhaps not identical, but all four of them believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.
B
No. 12 · Riker wrote, “@An Ella Fan: Perhaps not identical, but all four of them believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman”
But one of the four indicated that he’ll change his mind as soon as enough voters are ready (and meanwhile would sign a bill repealing DOMA whereas the others wouldn’t). For the rest, one is a Mormon (whose church tells him what to believe about it), one is a serial adulterer who just signed a no-adultery pledge to get the evangelical(?) vote and will gladly throw you under the bus (figuratively) to get elected, and one is so homophobic that his name has been turned into a term for something unmentionable in polite company.
Meanwhile, these three, in their attempt to figuratively shoot Obama, have formed the proverbial circular firing squad. One can only hope that the inevitable happens (figuratively, of course).
Riker
@B: He kinda, sorta indicated that he was thinking about changing his mind back to what he used to want in a transparent bid to win our donations. I’ll believe it when I see it, along with the rest of his Change You Can Believe In.
For what its worth, I’m planning on voting for Romney in the primary. However, if by some bizarre twist of fate someone besides Romney or Paul get the nomination, i’ll be voting for Obama. I’m a Republican, but not an extremist.
B
No. 14 · Riker wrote, “@B: He kinda, sorta indicated that he was thinking about changing his mind back to what he used to want in a transparent bid to win our donations. I’ll believe it when I see it, along with the rest of his Change You Can Believe In.”
Obama’s done more for LGBT issues than any Republican president so far would have. Just look at McCain’s opposition to repealing DADT, which squeaked through congress. We’d still have DADT if McCain had been elected because McCain would have vetoed the repeal and there wasn’t enough congressional support to override a veto.
BTW, Ron Paul voted against the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009
(aka The Matthew Shepard Act) – http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1913/show and
http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2009/h/223 . Obama signed it.