This will not be a popular diary. I will be called a hater, one of the far-right left, I will be given the usual lines "Obama has done more than the LGBT community than anyone else" and "He's the most progressive ever", "He didn't have the votes" etc. I DO thank Obama for his efforts in this process and hope Rachel Maddow is right that he can get some cred with the base. HOWEVER, I see the president's handling of DADT as symptomatic of the rest of his presidency - do what causes the least waves, compromise without any debate, give in etc.
So let's start with the basics. Did Obama do everything he could have done to end DADT?
My answer is NO. Most of what happened happened around him. Ultimately a legislative victory was achieved, but it truly wss one at the 11 1/2 hour which could have gone the route of the Dream Act.
- But he did the study
Yes, a study he could have ordered in his first days of office. He instead waited 1 full year in office before implementing and before getting the hard data we needed to prove it would not be a huge issue
Also, Obama made the decision just 2 months ago to scale back enforcement almost to zero. Imagine now what would have happened if he had instituted this in January 2009. He could say, "We've had just 3 dismissals or zero dismissals, and nothing happened" But he didn't and many, many more were fired, important skillsets lost.
- Well, he did more
He sent Biden to the hill to get votes. But unless someone can confirm otherwise, he seems to have placed his first calls to senators on this issue WEEKS ago, not in 2009, not in the summer, weeks ago.
What is worse, in 2009, Rahm and gang, supported by Obama, accepted the stupid idea that we dare not discuss the issue of DADT at that time, lest it damage the lovely bi-partisan nature of healthcare. And there we begin the lovely tit-for-tat we have now. Unemployment for tax cuts for the rich, civil rights in exchange for a Start treaty. You'd think each of these things would be argued on their merit but, apparently, to the Obama gang, it was necessary to have that atmosphere of bipartisanship which of course never materialized.
What is even worse is that the DOJ appealed when the law was deemed unconstitutional. It has been shown in diary after diary this was not necessary, plenty of precedent in issues where the DOJ did not repeal, and don't even get me started on its dereliction of duty to prosecute Bush war crimes. As far as I know, these law suits still continue, a wasted amount of time. As Ca. Attorney General, Jerry Brown did not pursue Prop H8. It is questionable what the status is with the state government not challenging the ruling.
Even days before the vote, Gibbs was being his usual coy self, saying Start should come first, we would see about the rest, don't know about timing, the whole wet noodle bit. And once again, someone was making an equation gay right + immigrant rights + treaty with Russians= Since when do we bargain on these things like chips at a roulette table?
- He didn't have the votes
Yes, but there were so many things he could have done. What about cutting down enforcement a year earlier, what about holding town halls on the issue? What about casting the vote with Kennedy and Byrd and Burris still in the Senate? Not a guaranty of victory but a start. Let it be on paper that Snowe and Collins voted it down and face their voters.
- Well Clinton did a lot worse
Check your facts. I blame Clinton for a lot, NAFTA, DOMA etc. In this case, enough Democrats were against him to even override a veto, so there were a few dozen Manchins back then. In 1992, society was much different, a time when gay people were unfairly stigmatized by the AIDS epidemic. In 2010, virtually every TV show has gay characters. A majority of Americans is for marriage equality. More states are trying to either get same-sex marriage or civil partnerships. Do I expect much more from Obama in 2010 than Clinton in 1992? Fuck yes.
- Well, it all worked out in the end
But it could well not have. It was ultimately not Obama's efforts that got this done in the 11 1/2 hour, it was Lieberman who, although he has genuinely always been on the right side of this issue, understands, along with the Maine sisters, that his only chance is to tack left in 2012, because Linda McMahon will probably be there to take him on. He is my senator and I will STILL never support him, but it was him who got the Maine gals on board. Add in a pissed off Murkowski and an endangered Brown to the mix and there you go. This could have just as easily been lost like the Dream Act
- But it ended up ok, why are you still bitching?
First, it is far from over. Gates and Co. can wait as long as they'd like. There is little protection in the bill to protect against discrimination.
What is worse, is that I already see a "blame the gays" mentality building here. They got DADT, why didn't we get Dream. Start could be endangered. Now the status of Guantanamo can be affected. All because it has to come down to a vote at the last possible minute.
Finally, I see it as completely symptomatic of the Obama admin in general - yeah, if it works, great, if not que sera sera.
Was the a historic victory? Yes. Do I thank Obama for it? Yes! But do I think he really went out of his way to MAKE this happen as early as possible, including doing the survey a year earlier, holding the vote earlier? Raising public awareness, not challenging was was deemed unconstitutional? No. Sorry, this worked but DESPITE Obama. I stopped believing in 11th dimensional chess long ago.