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OutQ’s Presidential Caucus Chock Full of SIRIUS Discussion

SIRIUS Satellite Radio just wrapped up its three-hour forum on Democratic presidential politics on its OutQ channel, and results are in from the accompanying Web and phone polls conducted in conjunction with the program. Prominent supporters of Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama debated LGBT issues with caucus host Michelangelo Signorile and callers, including yours truly. Interestingly, the results were different depending on whether the voter weighed in by phone or online. Signorile suggested that the differing results could be attributed to blog links to the poll, while phone votes were more likely to come from those who were listening in on their satellite radios rather than the online version of the channel. Obama won the online poll, 59 to 39 percent. This was a significant turnaround from earlier in the show, when Clinton was leading at one point by more than 70 percent. In phone voting, Clinton won the poll 60 percent to Obama’s 40.

The poll results and live conversation seem to reflect the angst that LGBT voters feel about choosing between the lesser of two evils. Hilary Rosen, president of ourchart.com and a supporter of Senator Clinton, rightly and repeatedly asserted that neither candidate was right on gay marriage, including the one she was there to (unofficially) represent. Stampp Corbin (the National LGBT Liaison for the Obama campaign, and Co-Chair of the National LGBT Leadership Team, Obama for America ’08) was somewhat more hesitant to characterize his candidate’s positions on LGBT rights as less than ideal. When called out by Rosen for his efforts to defend Obama, Corbin said he saw his role in the caucus as that of explaining his candidate’s position rather than defending them. Overall, though, both participants offered generally honest and frank comments on the candidates’ positions with good humor and respect–a lesson the campaigns themselves would be well advised to adopt.

In my question to Rosen and Corbin, I pointed out that candidate positions on LGBT issues are what they are for the duration of this primary season. I asked both to look ahead to the general election and discuss viability. A thoughtful discussion ensued about which candidate is the more electable. Would a Democratic ticket headed by Clinton re-energize the right wing that demonizes her? Would Clinton scandals resurface and hurt the Democrat’s chances to win the White House? And in the case of Obama, how well did he handle former President Bill Clinton’s attacks on his comments about President Reagan’s role in bringing different ideas to the national stage than had been pursued before? Was he tested enough when it comes to standing up to the Republican attack machine, called “reverse plastic surgery” by (ironically) President Clinton?

Without a crystal ball, there is no definitive answer, of course. Rosen and Corbin both made reasonable arguments for their candidates. Rosen pointed out that Clinton has been thoroughly tested by proxy, after her husband’s eight years of attack and investigation. Corbin described Obama as no John Kerry, assuring listeners that Obama would not hesitate to respond and neutralize Republican attacks. Show host Signorile made an interesting point that recent claims that Obama is a Muslim resulted in questions about its accuracy from his otherwise rational, liberal-leaning callers. It does give one pause to think that American voters could fall for more Swift-Boat-Veterans-style propoganda. But Obama did respond quickly to the allegation, which is false, with a faith-oriented speech and repeated statements informing the public of his Methodist Church membership.

In a follow-up, Rosen asked me if I thought a Democrat could win in Georgia. I responded that I do. Perhaps my faith in my fellow Georgians is irrational optimism. But I pointed out that two of our largest counties, metro Atlanta’s Cobb and Gwinnett, have trended more Democratic in recent years and are expected to continue going blue by many political observers. In retrospect, I should have added that the key to a Democratic victory, in my opinion, will rest more on voter turnout than on the political leanings of the electorate. In the 2004 primaries here, many victories were won by only a few hundred votes. Metro Atlanta, like many cities, can be generally described as more liberal than our country neighbors. The ATL is also home to one of the nation’s largest LGBT populations. But 2004 turnout in the city was not strong enough to overcome radical conservative votes motivated by the Republican’s gay marriage wedge. There is no such wedge issue that has surfaced so far this political season. Republican efforts to make immigrants the next target of their demonization has lacked the punch that homophobia gave them.

Whether you support Clinton or Obama, it’s critical that you vote–in the primary and the general election. While the LGBT community has no perfect ally, Republicans are clearly enemies of equality. Not to mention their mismanagement of an unnecessary war, their denial of climate change, and their asleep-at-the-wheel governance when it came to Hurrican Katrina and now the economy. In 2004, Democrats often repeated the slogan, “ABBA: Anybody But Bush Again.” In 2008, perhaps we should use Stephen Colbert’s election coverage catch phrase as our new bumper sticker: “Don’t F#@k This Up America.”