MyDD :: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Support?

Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Support?

by andrewalker08, Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 11:50:13 AM EST

Two years ago, former Secretary of State Cathy Cox earned the ire of many in the GLBT community when she released a statement expressing her disappointment in a Fulton County Superior Court judge's ruling striking down Georgia's gay marriage ban.

"I am disappointed that Georgia's constitutional amendment defining marriage as a sacred union of one man and one woman has been overturned, Cox said in a May 2006 statement. "I strongly support Attorney General Thurbert Baker's decision to appeal this ruling to the state Supreme Court. Should his efforts fail, I agree that the General Assembly should meet in special session to pass a new resolution that could be voted on in November."

Eventually, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the state ban on same-sex unions but not before leading members of Georgia's GLBT community declared Cox, who was running for the Democratic Party's nomination for Governor, dead to them [Source: 5/18/2006 Atlanta Public Affairs blog "Cathy Cox Is Dead to Me"].

Cox went on to lose the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Lt. Governor Mark Taylor and even had gay and lesbian supporters demanding she return contributions made by them to her campaign [Source: 12/29/2006 Southern Voice article "A roller-coaster year for gay Atlanta"].

Now there are some who wonder if Barack Obama may suffer a hemorrhage of GLBT support similar to what happened to Cathy Cox in 2006 should he tap former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn as his vice presidential nominee.

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank told the Rothenberg Political Report, June 20th, that "he would have a hard time voting for the [Democratic] ticket" if Sen. Barack Obama picks former United States Sen. Sam Nunn as his vice-presidential running-mate" [Source: 6/20/2008 Rothenberg Political Report article "Barney Frank: A Definite No To Nunn"].

Frank, who is the first openly gay member of Congress, pointed to Nunn's vote against the Employee Non-discrimination Act in 1996 as his main reason for opposing an Obama/Nunn ticket in November.

Frank went on to say, "I would be virtually useless in trying to convince other gays and lesbians to support the ticket."

Would an Obama/Nunn ticket dampen Sen. Obama's support among gay and lesbian Americans? Or would they put aside their reservations of an Obama/Nunn ticket and fall in line with other Democrats who are desperate for a return to the White House after eight years of GOP control.

If the words of Congressman Barney Frank ring true, Sam Nunn as Obama's vice presidential running mate might result in the GLBT community sitting out the presidential race.

Tags: Barack Obama, Sam Nunn, Vice Presidential nominee, GLBT (all tags)

Permalink :: 44 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT (2.00 / 1)

Anyone with a memory of DADT, Nunn's brainchild, should make it clear that Nunn is a dealbreaker.

Purity! Or else!

by ChitownDenny on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 11:59:00 AM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT (none / 0)

Just considering Nunn costs my vote, that and about a hundred additional reasons.

by 07rescue on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:17:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (2.00 / 1)

Short answer:

Yes.

ENOUGH!

by JDF on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:02:32 PM EST

Speaking strictly for myself, as a gay man, (none / 0)

Nunn on the ticket would make me very sad. I would still vote for Obama because the alternative is worse.

Voting Green is not a viable alternative. I might feel better briefly, but over the long term it would be about as productive as sticking a fork in my eye.

"If you don't care about everybody, you don't care about anybody." --Ethan Mordden

by prodigal on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:04:28 PM EST

Speaking as a gay man... (2.00 / 1)

YES! I will be outraged if Obama picks Nunn. Bad, bad, bad move.

by easyE on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:06:24 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (2.00 / 1)

yes yes and yes. between mcclurkin, meeks and nunn there is no way in hell i'd vote for him.

by nyarch on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:12:57 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (none / 0)

Nunn will not be the VP pick...
No geezers..no way...
I believe Obama gazes west...

"harlequin speech of suicide, demanding instantaneous lobotomy"

by nogo postal on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:30:23 PM EST

Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Leaning to not vote Obama. Don't know how I will go come November, but every homophobic move by the campaign nudges me further away. There have been so many, almost like watching a Repub run. It does not help that progressives and liberals rush out and say: GLBTpeople STFU and UNITY. Obama needs to say that Nunn is a disgrace and should be shunned. We deserve nothing less.

by DaleA on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:36:22 PM EST

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

No, pal, you do not deserve to have a solid elder statesman in the party shunned. You may be right that it's stupid to pick him as the VP, but the man has done a lot of good for this country and for this party. Get over yourself.

One wing of the party is not more important than another. Picking Nunn may be a bad move and I doubt he'll do it, but people like Sam Nunn provide our party with something it doesn't have enough of:

Foreign policy and national security chops.

Nunn has evolved a little on this issue. Do I agree with him on social issues? Hell no! He's backwards as hell at times (though I wouldn't call him a dinosaur). However, his contributions are considerable and I'm a fan, on the whole, of his senatorial career.

I'm sick of people demanding that our politicians shun those who have been jackasses at times but, like the rest of humanity, are more nuanced than that.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 12:44:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Sorry Reaper, disagree.
"you do not deserve to have a solid elder statesman in the party shunned..."
Solid under what criteria? This..."Foreign policy and national security chops"? Plenty other Dems with more and better; Biden is the first name to come to mind to fill any gap you may think exists by not having Nunn around.

Purity! Or else!

by ChitownDenny on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:04:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Showing Sam Nunn respect does not require making him the Vice President. That's my point. You can also decline to offer him the Vice Presidency without "shunning" him.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:23:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

He's not beeing shunned. He's officially part of the campaign. But VP, dealbreaker.

Purity! Or else!

by ChitownDenny on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:30:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Then learn to read what the hell I'm responding to, dammit! The poster I replied to said that Obama should show "disgust" to Nunn and "shun" him because that's "what we deserve."

Christ, I'm not just spouting off for no reason. I was replying to a particular post.

Please acknowledge your mistake in reply.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:36:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Whoa. You're absolutely right, OK?

Purity! Or else!

by ChitownDenny on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:43:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Thank you.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:44:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Mentioning Nunn already costs support (none / 0)

Phew.

Purity! Or else!

by ChitownDenny on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:46:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

There have been no homophobic moves (none / 0)

Everything that you can possibly translate as "homophobia" has been blasted way out of proportion.

I don't think Nunn will be the VP pick, but even if he is, that doesn't mean that Obama will be less of a friend to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered folk.

And he is a good friend to them now.

In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.

by Dracomicron on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:09:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: There have been no homophobic moves (none / 0)

Please quit trivializing GLBT concerns. We are real. And our concerns are what we say they are. Just as AA concerns are what they say they are.

by DaleA on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:21:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: There have been no homophobic moves (none / 0)

Please quit speaking as if you represent the GLBT community as a monolithic block. You don't speak for me. I could care less who Obama picks as his VP, so long as it's not somebody out of crazy right field like Hagel.

Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics

by BishopRook on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 06:09:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Whatever (none / 0)

As BishopRook is saying, GLBT is not a vast collective of one-issue voters.

Furthermore, Obama has been fighting for equal rights for all Americans his entire time in office. He talks about gays in his stump speeches and his speeches to, for example, religious black folk who have been very homophobic in the past.

You're the one trivializing GLBT concerns by suggesting that they're so shallow as to not vote for Obama over one single problem, blown out of proportion.

In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.

by Dracomicron on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 06:50:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Umm.. No. (none / 0)

South Carolina was unequivocally, irrefutably homophobic.

by aggieric on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 05:57:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

How? (none / 0)

He let a guy sing. McClurkin wasn't stumping, he wasn't representing a campaign. Yes, they screwed up the vetting; Obama admits this, but in the end, it didn't hurt gay people one bit. In fact, if he helped get any votes for Obama, then this guy helped every single gay person in the United States by proxy.

In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.

by Dracomicron on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 06:53:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

From a practical viewpoint (none / 0)

I understand why people tell the GLBT to STFU. But from a moral viewpoint, I think it is wrong to do so. The GLBT community has been far more patient than the democratic party deserves when it comes to basic equal recognition by the government. I'd hate to see a group hijack the convention over gay marriage, but morally I couldn't criticize those who did the hijacking. Anyone who could needs to go back and read not only MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jail but also the open letter he was responding to.

by Mobar on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:55:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Uhg (none / 0)

Ok Reaper. Maybe Obama should pick Leiberman as VP. I mean, it will give him some "bipartisan" cred right?
Your argument is lame. Below is from Politicalwire.com. If Barney Frank won't even vote for an Obama/Nunn ticket?? Very very problematic. I think Obama/ Nunn would probably make me donate money to McCain!!!! (oh, the thought of that just made me kinda ill).

PER POLITICALWIRE.COM
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told the Rothenberg Political Report that he "would have a hard time voting for the [Democratic] ticket" if Sen. Barack Obama picks former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) as his vice-presidential running-mate.

Frank says he made his position clear to the people vetting Obama's potential vice presidential nominees.

"The Massachusetts Democrat cites a number of examples of what he calls Nunn's "real record of hostility" toward gays, placing greatest emphasis on Nunn's September 1996 vote against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which failed in the Senate by a single vote."

by easyE on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:08:26 PM EST

Re: Uhg (none / 0)

Please learn to fucking read. I said we should not shun him. We should show him respect. That's not the same thing as making him the VP.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:24:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (none / 0)

No.

Ornithological Vaccinations and Aviary Heuristics

by OVAH on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:18:24 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (none / 0)

Has any leak come from the Obama campaign that Nunn is on the short list? I haven't heard anything. All the talk about Nunn has been pure speculation. Now we are damning Obama for something speculative? Give me a break.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson

by MS01 Indie on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:29:20 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (none / 0)

I think Nunn is just one egg in a basket full of problems that the GLBT community has with Obama,Dean,the DNC and the Congressional Black Caucus. Contrary to popular belief relations are rather strained between us and have been since Dean took over and will remain so until certain issues are addressed. Some of us are tired of being paid lip service and being treated as an ATM.

by Iceblinkjm on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:44:24 PM EST

Some of us disagree with you (none / 0)

And would prefer you don't speak as if you represent the GLBT community.

Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics

by BishopRook on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:57:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (none / 0)

Agree. Thanks for this good summation of how many, many GLBT folks feel. Dean really blew it in his handling of gay staffers.

by DaleA on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:15:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Barney Frank (none / 0)

As bombastic as he can sometimes be, Barney Frank is another one of the reasons I love Massachusetts and can't wait to go back some day.

by ProgressiveDL on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:49:12 PM EST

Re: Barney Frank (none / 0)

Barney Frank is full of win.

by Reaper0Bot0 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:56:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Nunn (none / 0)

Walker, I usually like your posts but it seems as if you are just stirring the pot right here.

He hasn't picked Nunn; so why are people preemptively bashing him for something he hasn't done? Nunn's people haven't leaked anything about Nunn being the odds-on favorite, unlike Pawlenty's people, so we should all probably just calm down a little bit about Obama's VP choice. He has only been the nominee for three weeks after all.

by Blazers Edge on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:55:17 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket (none / 0)

Nunn would be a disaster of huge proportions. it would be a mistake, mistake, mistake.

by linfar on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 01:59:32 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket (none / 0)

Which is why they will likely do it. Can't seem to pass up opportunities to stick it to GLBT folks.

by DaleA on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:17:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's good news... (none / 0)

...that there's so little of merit to be outraged about that people can worked up on the mere suggestion of a VP selection that will not, in all likelihood, actually take place.

by Casuist on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:43:35 PM EST

Well (none / 0)

I'm disappointed in Walker; he's trying to stir things up with this diary.

by Blazers Edge on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 02:45:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Obama's been doing good lately (2.00 / 1)

with opting out of the campaign finance

moderating on Iraq

voting for fisa.

Were he to pick Sam Nunn?

I might even donate to him.

So far. He's so good.

We need to fight against the extremists in the democratic party who don't want honest debate on these issues.

I think Sam Nunn was right back then. I hope he doesn't become too P.C.

For us to be a true Majority party, we need to represent the: Majority.

Which believes that a normal nuclear family is the right, moral, and best way to go.

by yellowdem1129 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 03:39:59 PM EST

Re: Obama's been doing good lately (none / 0)

Indeed. It's obvious that since the majority did not believe in interracial marriage in the mid 1900's, we should not have supported an end to that. And when people thought that African Americans should be slaves, we should have obviously supported that as well, because, in order to be the true majority party, we must side with the majority.

Go back to Redstate, you bigoted moron.

Hillary supporter for Barack Obama in 2008

by zcflint05 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:19:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's been doing good lately (none / 0)

Out with you. Out, I say.

PS: "voting for fisa"? Obama hasn't voted on anything yet.

Proud member of the Wikipedia Generation of American politics

by BishopRook on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 06:11:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama GLBT Suppo (2.00 / 1)

I really don't think he'll pick Nunn. There's so many better Veep canidates out there, who fall more in line with Democrats socially, and also have national security cred. (WES CLARK WES CLARK WES CLARK WES CLARK WES CLARK).

If he ended up selecting him, I would have a really hard time getting behind him fully, and it's possible I could vote Green. He's already had issues with the GLBT community (McClurkin, Meeks, the Newsom flap), so I don't think this would be an good course of action.

Hillary supporter for Barack Obama in 2008

by zcflint05 on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:22:20 PM EST

what part of "change" don't you get? (1.00 / 1)

there is absolutely NO WAY IN HELL Obama picks Sam Nunn. this election is about CHANGE. no matter how much the MSM & other idiots pump up Nunn, he is a relic of the sad old days of the Democratic party, and would be a terrible pick. Obama is WAY to smart for that.

the time to rise has been engaged.

by catchaz on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 04:30:06 PM EST

Re: Could Nunn on the ticket cost Obama (none / 0)

While I strongly hope Obama does not pick Nunn, is he still as anti-gay as he was? The ENDA vote was 12 years ago. Anyone know his current stance on LGBT equality isssues?

In any case, if Obama wants a Southerner with military experience, how can he go wrong with Wesley Clark?

by costanoan on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 05:03:20 PM EST

Huge mistake (none / 0)

Sam Nunn shuld not be on the ticket. He is not an agent of change, but rather he represents a turning back towards the days of the Dixiecrats. It would be a huge mistake to have him on the ticket.

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers. -- Thomas Jefferson

by pollbuster on Sun Jun 22, 2008 at 05:46:23 PM EST

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