Y’know how sometimes someone gives you a compliment but instead of shutting up, they keep talking and talking and it ends up sounding like an insult. That’s kind of what it feels like now that President Obama admitted it was Vice President Biden’s jump-the-gun endorsing of marriage equality that pushed him to do the same.—and Biden apologized!
In Thursday’s interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, the President said Biden “got a little bit over his skis” and spoke out of turn on Meet the Press. “Would I have preferred to have done this in my own way, in my own terms without, I think, there being a lot of notice to everybody? Sure. But all’s well that ends well.”
Thanks, Barack, way to take the air out of our rainbow balloon.
The AP is reporting that Joltin’ Joe gave a mea culpa for blabbing his mouth on the Sunday morning news show, which the President graciously accepted.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Um, this is Joe Biden we’re talking about. Running his mouth off-script is all he does—it’s his calling card!
This is the guy who called his boss “Barack America” and their opponent “President Romney.” The guy who said to wheelchair-bound state Sen. Charles Graham “Stand up, Chuck. Let ’em see ya!” Any campaign strategist worth her salt would have kept Biden in an underground bunker in North Dakota until after the election—unless she wanted this seemingly chaotic chain of events to happen.
The Obama Administration is denying it, but it’s entirely possible they sent Biden on Meet the Press just hoping he’d flap his gums on gay marriage and get the ball rolling.
Heck, they probably gave him a few shots of Jäger to loosen his tongue.
Belize
Well… this is just… I can’t even… Oh. My. God.
Chad
Of course this makes Obama look like a flip-flopper.
Cam
My guess is that they sent Biden out as a trial balloon. But if they didn’t, then good for Biden and thanks for the honesty.
1equalityUSA
I’m sure that the entire scene was planned out, including the after statements. The important thing is that equality for all Americans was addressed.
Dr Martin Luther King:
“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was ‘well timed’ in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’”
Other Americans’ religious beliefs cannot strip unpopular Americans of contractual protections. LGBT should not have any “onus” or burden, or any other hoop to jump through to justify our existence. We are American citizens and many disagree with their religious credence. There are over 1,100 (+) rights that we are being denied because of other peoples’ beliefs. This persecution has gone on long enough and we are not tolerating “outsider status” any longer, just to satisfy their comfort level.
Their unfounded fears didn’t prove to have a legitimate secular purpose and it failed, hence, same-sex marriage. We won in Massachusetts, we won in California, we will keep on winning until every American is equal and all families are similarly protected. Legally, we have a valid argument. Marriage is a civil, secular, legal arrangement that requires a courthouse, not a church to accomplish. With the President of the United States courageously acknowledging this inequity, our Country will be strengthened by the notion of equality for all. The Supreme Court needs to put an end to this discrimination once and for all. Two tiers of rights cannot be tolerated. Equality is inevitable. Constitutionally, our Country will have be fortified, for having overcome bigotry, once again. If our rights are held out of reach, who is next?
Cave Man
This was not in any way deliberate. Biden ran his mouth, and the liberal response was, “Well, of course Obama’s going to come out for gay marriage now.” Obama admitted it was not the time for him to make this endorsement, but he had to. A president who’s pressured into supporting us doesn’t truly support us at all.
Cam
@Cave Man:
You’ve been on all the posts here attacking Obama and defending Romney. I’m surious. Obama signed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and told the DOJ to stop defending DOMA in court.
So do you feel that Romney, who asked Congress to amend the Constitution to outlaw gay marriage, and said he would NOT have signed the repeal of DADT somehow supports us more?
Nice try.
1equalityUSA
And mittens signed that hateful, illegal NOM-pledge. Never forget that Romney signed the NOM-pledge. ew.
Good grief
Oh Barack, you bake us a beautiful cake and then you just had to sneeze on it, didn’t you?
Polyboy
I’ve read this story on other sites and only Queerty seems to miss the fact that Obama never said, “Biden made him do it.” He said they always intended to do it, but planned to do it later and Biden’s remarks only moved things up.
Your headline spins it completely. It’s crap writing.
Maria
Very reliable SOURCES (not)
Are you guys into bullshitting your way to relevance?
Rachel
Jesus Christ. If he’s not supporting you he’s a jerk and now that he’s admitted it, there’s STILL fault? Stop it. You’re not helping the cause.
Nicole A, Carson
This article is taking his comments out of context. Sometimes you need a little nudge (and he got one.) He’s not making a reversal of his statement. Damn, we liberals do love to shit all over our heroes, don’t we? YOU NEED TO STAND BY OUR PRESIDENT BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T WE WILL HAVE MITT ROMNEY AS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.
HESUS
What a BULLSHIT piece of article. LIES are not events.
BULLCRAP!
Kim Nickells
He was already going to announce. He wanted to do it in his own time. Joe just “jumped the gun”. “Let the cat out of the bag”. This was a done deal, just when to announce it was in question. Don’t lose faith in this guy. He isn’t perfect, but the alternative is frightening!
Cherish
We don’t have big enough bunkers in North Dakota for Joe Biden’s mouth. Just sayin’.
JTCan
Who cares? The President admitted he was going to anyway,just was planning a different approach. It doesn’t lessen the outcome one bit. It’s still historical!
Obama 2012
Well, this is just about timing. The thing is Obama has supported gay marriage for a long time – the fact is because of his position he has to be careful about what he says and when he says it. This is not a slight on him in anyway, it’s a fact of the difficulties of being a leader in a democracy with so many different types of people to lead.
Most of the anger towards Obama (from the left) comes from people who don’t understand this concept. As President he can’t just satisfy the 20% of us who self identify as “liberal” or, at least he can’t do that and have any hopes of getting anything done politically or remaining President.
Idealists should focus their energy on changing the minds of their fellow citizens rather than attacking the President for responding to what average people want.
WillBFair
It was a huge mistake to announce before the election. Hopefully they can walk it back.
The rationalizations may work, but I’d also suggest a change of subject and an old school vcr with reverse play button taped down.
WillBFair
@Obama 2012: Save your breath. The general public are clueless. They have a romanticized idea that a politician should be some kind of moral champian with a jaw line the size of Montana. Then there’s the emotional stunted crowd who want what they want and they want it now.
Dave
@Obot2012-Obama has not supported same gender marriage and never has. He only claims to when he wants money from GLBT people but as his record shows he’s not actually for LGBT equality or same gender marriage at all.
B
Most likely Biden apologized for upstaging Obama – the protocol is that the president gets first dibs on making an announcement. The timing might have been better. While Obama might have wanted to wait until after the election (its not like he can get congress to repeal DOMA before November), he could have wanted to time it closer to the election: e.g., during the Republican convention to distract attention from it or during the Democratic convention to increase enthusiasm, or even during a presidential debate to put Romney in an awkward position when he’d have to “think on his feet.”
Also, if Obama wanted to wait until after the election, keep in mind that it is not just him – Democrats in the house of representatives or the senate might have expressed a preference, and Obama can’t get DOMA repealed if Republicans can block it in the legislature.
Ronbo
@Cam: I have NOT seen Cave Man defending Romney. Put you hysterics and Obamabot trigger on “hold”. Obama was obviously pushed into defending us and you make us look pathetic for licking up Obama’s dribble. Show some dignity.
Ronbo
And to those who read Obama’s mind and have concluded that “Obama has supported gay marriage for a long time” you look pathetic licking Obama’s dribble when he had three long years, the Senate, the House and public support – and refused to support us over and over again. Obama was forced into this by Biden, public opinion and declining donations.
“God is in the mix”, said Obama. Stop your fake mind-reading and stick with reality. How are you going to defend Obama when he decimates Social Security? He’s tried once already. Obama’s hero was Ronald Reagan, not FDR. Here’s a nickel, buy a clue.
Mac
Well said Ronbo!
Cam
@Obama 2012: said…
“Well, this is just about timing. The thing is Obama has supported gay marriage for a long time – the fact is because of his position he has to be careful about what he says and when he says it. This is not a slight on him in anyway, it’s a fact of the difficulties of being a leader in a democracy with so many different types of people to lead.
Most of the anger towards Obama (from the left) comes from people who don’t understand this concept. As President he can’t just satisfy the 20% of us who self identify as “liberal””
___________________
Actually you’re a liar.
1. 70% of Democrats support gay marriage as well as nearly 60% of Independents, and more than 20% of Republicans.
The fact that you are trying to alter the numbers indicates that you are lying to prop up your own agenda.