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In reply to the discussion: Do you consider President Obama to be a "Third Wayer"? [View all]BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)39. A resounding NO. He's the first sitting U.S. president to be featured on a gay magazine - for his
part in this fight for equal rights.
"but theres no question that without the active engagement of the 44th president of the United States, who has made securing the rights of LGBT Americans a fundamental part of his legacy, wed still be working to fulfill that dream."
Yes, theres work to be done we are still waiting for Congress to pass comprehensive federal LGBT protections, for a start but whichever way you look at it, this president and his administration have ushered extraordinary change into the lives of LGBT Americans. For someone who at first seemed coy, even awkward, on the subject, President Obamas evolution on marriage equality has been something to behold. He came to office reiterating that marriage was an institution reserved for a man and a woman, and continued to hold that line throughout most of his first term, even while advancing other important legislation, including the repeal of dont ask, dont tell. Other signal achievements included an order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, passage of the first federal LGBT law in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, encouraging the end to a ban on transgender military service, and the ongoing effort to create a more diverse judiciary. His nomination of Eric Fanning to be secretary of the Army, if successful, will make him the first openly gay head of a military branch.
Yet even as polls suggested that a growing majority of Americans supported same-sex unions, many of us were losing faith that the president would join their ranks. His public conversion, when it came on May 9, 2012, telegraphed just how far the country had moved, and was one that had the encouragement of two important women in his life: the first lady and his senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett. It took a few more years for the president to agree that marriage equality was a constitutional matter, rather than one left up to the states, but by November 2012, Americans were electing the nations first pro-gay marriage president. It was an extraordinary contrast to eight years earlier, when President Bush exploited fears of gay marriage to help secure a second term.
From that moment, the wind has been in our sails. Obamas re-election was followed by two Supreme Court decisions in June 2013: United States v. Windsor, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which led to the annulling of Californias Proposition 8. In March this year, as the Supreme Court prepared to hear arguments on Obergefell v. Hodges, lawyers for the Justice Department filed a brief arguing that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, likening them to prohibitions on interracial marriage.
When he was sworn in on January 20, 2009, there were two states where same-sex marriage was legal. Today it is a right nationwide. Many share credit for what has transpired, but theres no question that without the active engagement of the 44th president of the United States, who has made securing the rights of LGBT Americans a fundamental part of his legacy, wed still be working to fulfill that dream. On this issue, among many others, he is truly a great American.
http://www.out.com/out100-2015/2015/11/10/out100-president-barack-obama-ally-year
Yet even as polls suggested that a growing majority of Americans supported same-sex unions, many of us were losing faith that the president would join their ranks. His public conversion, when it came on May 9, 2012, telegraphed just how far the country had moved, and was one that had the encouragement of two important women in his life: the first lady and his senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett. It took a few more years for the president to agree that marriage equality was a constitutional matter, rather than one left up to the states, but by November 2012, Americans were electing the nations first pro-gay marriage president. It was an extraordinary contrast to eight years earlier, when President Bush exploited fears of gay marriage to help secure a second term.
From that moment, the wind has been in our sails. Obamas re-election was followed by two Supreme Court decisions in June 2013: United States v. Windsor, which struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, and Hollingsworth v. Perry, which led to the annulling of Californias Proposition 8. In March this year, as the Supreme Court prepared to hear arguments on Obergefell v. Hodges, lawyers for the Justice Department filed a brief arguing that state bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, likening them to prohibitions on interracial marriage.
When he was sworn in on January 20, 2009, there were two states where same-sex marriage was legal. Today it is a right nationwide. Many share credit for what has transpired, but theres no question that without the active engagement of the 44th president of the United States, who has made securing the rights of LGBT Americans a fundamental part of his legacy, wed still be working to fulfill that dream. On this issue, among many others, he is truly a great American.
http://www.out.com/out100-2015/2015/11/10/out100-president-barack-obama-ally-year
I seriously doubt that a "third-way Dem" would have taken the time and effort to make the above a reality at any time in his two terms.
President Obama is a pragmatic progressive: a progressive who gets things done for the country. And for those who believe he's not "left" enough for their tastes, they should remember that the United States is a huge country that is more centrist than ultra-Left.
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I think his intentions were honorable and he's accomplished some decent things.
BlueJazz
Nov 2015
#12
They must have started forcing him early though. Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff WAS Third Way!
cascadiance
Nov 2015
#17
He kept Bob Gates as his Defense Secretary, for Christ's sake! I sure as fuck
KingCharlemagne
Nov 2015
#40
Indeed. Arne fuckin' Duncan, Emmanuel, Gates, and the rest were all Turdwayers. All his appointees
Erose999
Nov 2015
#83
DWS and Rahm both appeared to me to be a way of reaching out to the Clinton camp.
ieoeja
Nov 2015
#72
During the campaign, he had more praise for Reagan than for any Democratic icon
Art_from_Ark
Nov 2015
#24
I think that's way too generous. I remember hearing one of Obama's professors talking about him.
Marr
Nov 2015
#94
On DU, "Third Wayer" is a term used to describe anyone that a subset here does not like.
MADem
Nov 2015
#26
I've got one that dings 'both sides' on DU for shallow understanding of the whole thing. Bernie
Bluenorthwest
Nov 2015
#41
There's a wee box in the right hand upper corner--type the phrase in there, and all will be revealed
MADem
Nov 2015
#58
Code phrase for "any sub-human not agreeing 100% with Sanders", which includes Obama, apparently.
Fred Sanders
Nov 2015
#55
Most people only live to see what, a dozen presidents, at the most? My dad lived to see FDR. So far
Erose999
Nov 2015
#85
A resounding NO. He's the first sitting U.S. president to be featured on a gay magazine - for his
BlueCaliDem
Nov 2015
#39
supporting racial, gender, or sexual orientation equality does not define one as a progressive,
daybranch
Nov 2015
#42
Not supporting such equality however does define one as a regressive, a conservative,
Bluenorthwest
Nov 2015
#45
He wasn't just "supporting it". He fought to make gender equality LAW of the land, either by
BlueCaliDem
Nov 2015
#80
The Third Way method is to trumpet social issues that cost them nothing, and to push Conservative
djean111
Nov 2015
#44
The recent expansion of Social Securithy benefits to apply equally to same sex couples cost plenty
Bluenorthwest
Nov 2015
#46
No electable white candidate in 2008 or 2012 could have been a fraction of the success this man
randys1
Nov 2015
#102
I agree. He's been one of America's most transformative presidents, and he's been the
BlueCaliDem
Nov 2015
#122
It is undeniable that Barack Obama is the most liberal president in US history.
MohRokTah
Nov 2015
#68
Then I can respond that Bernie Sanders is the most progressive senator on capitol hill IS A FACT!!!
cascadiance
Nov 2015
#70
If you mean his policies are to the right of Bernie Sanders, then you are correct.
geek tragedy
Nov 2015
#90
POTUS Obama has positive accomplishments. Results and policies are not monolithic.
PufPuf23
Nov 2015
#91
They are once again projecting what they think they support onto the establishment candidate.
Warren Stupidity
Nov 2015
#107
I consider "Third Way" to be an obnoxious Strawman term thrown out by obnoxious people...
Tommy_Carcetti
Nov 2015
#61
Yep, Third Way the organization is as a "third way" much as the "Progressive Policy Institute"...
cascadiance
Nov 2015
#73
No, the error is thinking "Third way" is conservative in the same way as Republicans.
jeff47
Nov 2015
#86
I think he cares a lot more about Wall Street than he cares about working people.
NaturalHigh
Nov 2015
#66
I voted Pass, he's got alot of them around though. Here's a primer on Third Way fwiw today.
bobthedrummer
Nov 2015
#99
Hard to say. If we were talking Bill I'd say he's about 95% third way but Obama is about 50%
craigmatic
Nov 2015
#114
One of many examples: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
PowerToThePeople
Nov 2015
#133