My support for Obama in the general election will be DESPITE his actions regarding gay folks

[ruggerson]

I plan on supporting Obama in the general election, should he win the nomination, but it won't be because I am convinced that he understands gays and lesbians or is resolutely committed to their goals.

I can only speak for myself, but my concerns about Obama and his understanding of gay families are hardly limited to hiring a noxious anti gay activist at a gospel event.

My antennae went off way back when he publicly singled out and named Tom Coburn, a notorious homophobic monster, as his "friend" and just the type of Republican he can "do business with."

Obama's church, the United Church of Christ, supports same sex marriage at the national level, but his own congregation in Chicago has specifically chosen NOT to be "open and affirming" (the label given individual congregations that agree with the national on same sex marriage). Obama has made references a number of times, in the context of civil marriage discussions, that his "faith" teaches him that same sex marriage is wrong. Disturbing enough on its own merits, it is not even accurate, because his own national demonination supports it.

The Gavin Newsom episode was yet another brief glimpse into Obama's personal views on me and my family. Willie Brown held a fundraiser for Barack in 2004 and Obama told him he didn't want to have his photograph taken with Newsom, who was co hosting the affair. (And note, this was two years BEFORE Newsom's infidelity problems. The only thing Newsom was famous for in 2004 was courageously marrying gay couples.)

In other words, there is a pattern here. Not one event. Not something made up or fictionalized. I was seriously looking at Obama early on in the primary season, and though I make my mind up about candidates for a variety of reasons, not just gay issues, these actions on Obama's part were enough to make me very uneasy.

Having said that, he has my full backing in the general election, because he would make a far better President than John McCain on a whole host of issues that I find important.

He would be better for working families, he would restore our nation's "brand" overseas, he is concerned with the damage Bush has done to the constitution and, yes, his platform on gay issues is the polar opposite of McCain's. To say nothing of the fact that I want a President Obama picking Supreme Court nominations, not a President McCain.

But, I don't have to accept the more vocal Barack Obama's supporters contentions here that he would be a better advocate for gay families than Hillary Clinton. I don't believe, based on very credible evidence, that he would be.

In order to support him down the road, I do have to believe that overall he would make a better President than the Republican. And, obviously, he is a far, far better choice than John McCain. Both on the diverse issues mentioned above and the more personal issues relating to my family and our concerns about full equality under the law.

For me, voting for Obama in November is a no brainer.