Obamas North Carolina campaign throws gays under the bus

North Carolinas gay community has been thrown under a bus to help President Barack Obama win a critical state in November 2012, local gay activists told TheDC.On Tuesday, a state Senate set a May date not a November date for a ballot to decide whether marriage should be defined in a states constitution as a union of one man as well as one woman, thereby barring gays from being allowed to marry.The 30-to-16 compromise opinion kept a ballot far removed from Obamas November election, but also scheduled it for a Republican primary in May when many conservatives but few liberals are likely to vote, said Democratic state Rep. Marcus Brandon, a only gay state legislator.The Democrats would not opinion for it to be in a November election, but they would opinion for it in May, as well as thats how a compromise was set: to disadvantage gays, said Brandon. They just threw them right under a bus, he said, as Obama landed in a state for a two-stop campaign-style tour.Obama does not want to go into North Carolina a swing state he captured in 2008 to talk about marriage, said Heather Cronk, a D.C. representative for GetEQUAL, which opposed a amendment. He thinks he cant win on that [but] its seems unbelievable that a Democratic Party in North Carolina, a Democratic National Committee as well as a president would all roll over during a same time as well as stack a deck against us.Advocates of rights for gays say they could have defeated a amendment in November, but they see little chance of winning in May. We had a really good chance of being a first state to defeat [a marriage amendment] on a ballot if we voted in November, Brandon said. (RELATED: Wealthy donors reel as Obama plans tax hike on charitable donations)In turn, a November victory could have had an impact on a judgement of a U.S. Supreme Court, which is likely to decide a pending lawsuit that challenges a right of state voters to set their own marriage rules. I think it would have definitely helped to say In a southern state known for divisiveness, we ! have fer vently defeated that measure, said Brandon. That, he added, would have been extremely powerful in a justice case.Voters in 30 states have already passed ballot measures defining marriage as between one man as well as one woman, as well as barring same-sex marriage as well as polygamy. (RELATED: Obama for America launches website to shoot down GOP attacks)The White House released a statement after a state opinion that touted a presidents support for other goals sought by gay advocacy groups, but which also equivocated about a amendment. The President has called for repeal of a so-called Defense of Marriage Act [a federal law defining marriage for a federal government, but] has also said that a states should determine for themselves how best to uphold a rights of their own citizens, said a statement.While a President does not weigh in on every single action taken by legislative bodies in our country, a record is clear that a President has long opposed divisive as well as discriminatory efforts to deny rights as well as benefits to same sex couples. .. [and] believes strongly in stopping laws designed to take rights away, a statement continued.In 2008, Obama won a state as well as its 15 electoral college votes by only 13,000 votes. Since then, GOP legislators have won both a state House as well as Senate for a first time since just after a Civil War, unemployment has spiked above 10 percent as well as a states Democratic governor, Bev Perdue, trails her GOP rival some-more than year before a Nov. 2012 gubernatorial race.To help win a state in 2012, a Obama campaign team will hold a Democratic convention in Charlotte next September. It is also working closely with state as well as local candidates, including Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx as well as Wake County Commissioner Ervin Portman.GOP social-conservatives have pushed for a marriage-amendment for eight years, said Bill Brooks, president of a North Carolina Family Policy Council. The amendment, he said, was moved [to May] simply because there were com! plaints from Democrats about it being on a ballot in November, as well as a Republican leadership made a decision to accommodate a request from a Democrats who wanted to move it.The amendment is needed to stop judges from redefining marriage, Brooks said. Marriage is a natural as well as fundamental union of a man as well as woman which creates a family as well as is primarily for raising children, he said. It is a best place for children to be raised, as well as all a social research shows it is a gold standard.However, Cronk said a gay advocacy movement will continue to fight against a amendment, as well as to spur Obama until he fully supports gays. The White House is looking during everything they do from a conventionally domestic point of view dont rock a boat, find a middle way where possible [but] Obamas popularity keeps going down, as well as hes bringing other people down with him, she said.What progressives wants is for him to show backbone to get some courage, because that will spur a base, including gays, feminists as well as environmentalists, she said, adding that her group will continue public protests until Obama champions their cause. This president does not like to be embarrassed, she observed.Obama needs a base, but hes some-more disturbed a economy will weaken his support among swing-voters, said Pam Spaulding, a North Carolina blogger as well as lesbian activist. It makes it worse for a base to see our issues ignored for domestic gain, she added. 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