Stand on gay rights may help Obama
Source: Agencies |
May 11, 2012, Friday
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US President Barack Obama's campaign moved quickly yesterday to capitalize on his newly announced support for gay marriage, releasing an Internet video that calls his Republican challenger backward on the highly divisive social issue.
Obama broke from his long-claimed indecision on the issue to express outright support for the right of homosexual couples to marry, becoming the first sitting US president to say so publicly.
He spoke during an ABC television interview on Wednesday after days of growing pressure that started when his own vice president declared his support for gay marriage over the weekend.
Yesterday, Obama's campaign released an Internet video titled "Mitt Romney: Backwards on Equality."
It opens with Obama saying same-sex couples should have the right to marry, then shows a clip of Romney saying on Wednesday that he opposes gay marriage and favors rolling back some rights for same-sex couples.
The video also seeks to portray Romney as out of touch with the majority of Americans, saying even former Republican President George W. Bush supported civil unions, which are a step short of marriage.
Obama aides hope the president's support of gay marriage will energize Democrats, particularly younger voters, though they acknowledge that the issue could hurt him with socially conservative independent voters.
"I have hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought that civil unions would be sufficient," Obama said in Wednesday's ABC television interview.
But he added that now, "it is important for me personally to go ahead and affirm that same-sex couples should be able to get married."
Obama broke from his long-claimed indecision on the issue to express outright support for the right of homosexual couples to marry, becoming the first sitting US president to say so publicly.
He spoke during an ABC television interview on Wednesday after days of growing pressure that started when his own vice president declared his support for gay marriage over the weekend.
Yesterday, Obama's campaign released an Internet video titled "Mitt Romney: Backwards on Equality."
It opens with Obama saying same-sex couples should have the right to marry, then shows a clip of Romney saying on Wednesday that he opposes gay marriage and favors rolling back some rights for same-sex couples.
The video also seeks to portray Romney as out of touch with the majority of Americans, saying even former Republican President George W. Bush supported civil unions, which are a step short of marriage.
Obama aides hope the president's support of gay marriage will energize Democrats, particularly younger voters, though they acknowledge that the issue could hurt him with socially conservative independent voters.
"I have hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought that civil unions would be sufficient," Obama said in Wednesday's ABC television interview.
But he added that now, "it is important for me personally to go ahead and affirm that same-sex couples should be able to get married."
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