* The gay marriage issue is moving ahead faster among Democratic candidates than I would’ve expected even a few months ago.
Eric Zorn is doing a great job of pinning candidates down on various issues. Lately, he’s been asking the gay marriage question. So far, he has found two more prominent Dems who support the concept, Dan Hynes and David Hoffman.
Hynes…
“If two committed adults want to express their love and their commitment to each other through marriage, I believe they should be allowed to under civil law,” Hynes said in an interview.
Gov. Pat Quinn has stopped short of gay marriage, so Hynes is running to the guv’s left.
Hoffman…
“David Hoffman does not believe the government should intrude or discriminate on the question of who people decide to marry and spend the rest of their lives together. It’s an issue of equality and fundamental fairness and all people — regardless of sexual orientation — should be provided the same protection under the law.
“David also supports Congressman Quigley’s bill to repeal DOMA.”
Hoffman and Alexi Giannoulias are basically on the same page. But fellow Democratic
US Senate candidate Cheryle Jackson is not on board…
“(Mike Quigley’s position on the Defense of Marriage Act) is consistent with Cheryle’s position on DOMA. She agrees with the President that it should be repealed. She sees civil unions as the best way to extend full civil rights to gay and lesbian partners, and does not believe the federal government should pre-empt the rights of states to make decisions on this. Thanks.”
What happens in the general election, however? Are these Dems too far out in front? Or, considering how fast this has been advancing in the polls, are we just too far away from the general to make any sort of prediction?
- Anon - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 10:34 am:
Where is Mark Kirk on gay issues? I imagine that he would be in the gay corner, considering his congressional district leans progressive.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 10:36 am:
As I said when Alexi came out for it, being pro-gay marriage in a Democratic primary in IL in 2010 is not terribly brave. Holding that position for the general election? Now that’s another chapter that has yet to be written. My guess is it won’t amount to much in the overall scheme of things.
- Rob_N - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 10:43 am:
Too far away from the general.
Besides, in the Senate race you may also have Kirk who claims to support gay rights anyway and has a bit of a record to back that up.
Neutralizes the issue a bit, don’t you think? Unless Kirk flips and suddenly says that he only voted that way because he was “only doing that because he was representing the 10th”. Then you’ve got a story, and another Kirk flip-flop.
Say, if he’s going to be representing the 10th anyway, shouldn’t Kirk be supporting the President’s health care reform proposals, including the Public Option instead of opposing it and stretching the truth (to put it mildly)? (Sorry for going OT.)
- Bill S. Preston, Esq. - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 11:18 am:
Are we really calling David Hoffman a “prominent Dem” now?
- Mountain Man - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 11:24 am:
Well, Robinson-Jackson just lost one vote that she had pretty much locked up. Too bad she supports “seperate but equal” on gay rights issues.
- Mary - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 11:34 am:
Thanks for this post Rich…
As a member of the LGBT community on Chicago’s Northside, I along with countless individuals, including my partner, have spent several years lobbying our legislative leaders with respect to marriage equality. Alexi’s position on this issue has been no secret for a long time and his friends in the LGBT community acknowledge and respect him for this.
While I commend other candidates for their recent support of marriage equality, after hearing this news, my partner and I recalled the debate on marriage equality back during Barack’s 2004 Senate race, when Dan Hynes repeatedly stated that he believed “marriage should only be between a man and a woman.” You know it and everyone knows it. This recent position change is pandering to try to gain support from the base of the party. How can you blast the LGBT community four years ago, then suddenly turn around and pretend to be their ally and defender. Rich, can you follow up on why he suddenly changed his position? This is straight pandering.
- the Other Anonymous - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 12:22 pm:
I made this point in the post about Patrick Hughes’s poll, but it applies here too. Hughes took a poll of 500 Republican primary voters, and one of the results was:
58% oppose same sex marriage with 28% in favor.
Remember, this is Republican voters, 69% of the respondents described themselves as conservative. Yet only 58% oppose same sex marriage.
Given the ever-shrinking pool of conservatives, it’s pretty significant that even amongs conservatives the percentage opposed to same sex marriage appears to be shrinking. I think the issue no longer holds the same hot-button appeal as it did a few years ago.
- PS - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 12:26 pm:
Mary’s right. This is straight up pandering from most of the democratic candidates. I love it how Hoffman apparently had his PR man contact Zorn with an enthusiastic “me too!” when he saw he could get some free mileage out of it.
- Ghost - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 1:33 pm:
It looks more like a tempest in a teacup.
I think the average voter will have a strong opinion on this, but its not meaty enough to get most folks to change votes…. unless the economy is doing wildly better and people are feeling finacialy more secure.
- Amalia - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 1:43 pm:
wev…..gay marriage so does not affect my pocketbook or my marriage.
- SF - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 3:01 pm:
Just decided who gets my Senate vote… Giannoulias
- nah - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 3:29 pm:
Hey PS– it wasn’t a “me too”– Zorn called out Hoffman’s campaign, and they answered.
*
ZORN REPLY — I doubt that, but I should have asked his campaign. If they’re at all on the ball they’ll see this, post his position in comments and I can highlight that position in a subsequent item.
*
It’s understandable that people think the worst of candidates, but we might want to consider that we’re a bit cynical and shell-shocked in this state.
- phocion - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 4:01 pm:
So, Hynes position has evolved. Hoffman is a blank slate, so he can come out now and support gay marriage. Not sure if Alexi ever spoke to the issue before, but he beat everyone else to the punch. Ms. Jackson is behind a beat - maybe. The African American community is solidly against gay marriage. In fact, I can’t think of one black politician who favors it - including Barack Obama. Still, not sure that Ms. Jackson needed to stay behind on the issue unless she’s worried that she’ll get less than overwhelming support from the African American electorate. This primary should be interesting…
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 4:17 pm:
I think this is losing steam as a wedge issue. It was hot for a while, but we’ve all got bigger fish to fry now. You don’t sense the outrage among some that you used to.
- David Ormsby - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 4:18 pm:
It appears “separate but equal” is ok for some groups not for others. Noted.
- Rick - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 4:35 pm:
Phocion, I wouldn’t say the African American community is “solidly” against gay marriage - it’s just divided (with some prominent pastors in the anti camp). Many black policiticans are in favor - Congressman John Lewis prompltly jumps to mind.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 4:54 pm:
I think this is losing steam as a wedge issue.
I agree - it is so 2008.
- Bill - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 5:07 pm:
Why would anyone be against something like this that has nothing to do with them? Who cares except for people who let their religion get in the way of rational thinking. Protect the “sanctity” of marriage! What a joke.
- Anon3 - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 5:36 pm:
I would hope the Iowa experience would really put and end to this as a wedge or atleast suck most of the oxygen out of it.
It sure has been a non event for our neighbors to the west.
- Anonymous - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 8:13 pm:
VMan, I’m sure you’re on it.
- Mountain Man - Monday, Sep 21, 09 @ 8:48 pm:
Phocion,
You can’t think of one African-American politican who supports gay marriage? Let me help you with a few: Reps. Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Barbara Lee, Donna Edwards, Elijah Cummings, Yvette Clarke, Charlie Rangel, John Lewis, Eddie-Bernice Johnson, Keith Ellison, Gwen Moore, Chaka Fattah, Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, and Marcia Fudge; Governors David Patterson, and Deval Patrick.
Robinson-Jackson is out of step on this issue…and it will cost her in the primary.