Reply #17: Don't Ask Don't Tell is arguably worse than what was in place before

[Hippo_Tron]

Because it actually codified the discrimination into law. Before, the only thing banning gays in the military was a decision by the Pentagon (which was notoriously relaxed during wartime). I suppose the "Don't Ask" part of the law was a step forward except for the fact that it's notoriously disobeyed anyway.

Clinton wound up signing the thing because he knew that having not served in the military himself, he couldn't win a public opinion war against the military and Sam Nunn who were pushing congress to codify the ban on gays in the military into law (should Clinton try to repeal it by executive order). Now that it's 2008 and not 1993, Obama would be able to sign such an Executive Order with little backlash. Congress certainly would not even consider codifying the ban into law at this point and many military leaders have also changed their views. But now Obama can't issue an executive order he actually has to get DADT repealed and that is subject to a GOP filibuster in the Senate.

But Clinton's decision to plunge into the gays in the military issue had little to do with anybody pushing him there. It was because he failed to appoint his senior staff until the very last minute and made the decision without consulting anybody who could explain to him that he couldn't just issue the executive order without fear of a congressional backlash.