Saturday night Barack Obama spoke at a dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, proving once again that a little thing like actually winning the Presidency is not enough to switch Barack Obama over from campaigner to decider. Long on promises and short on details President Obama renewed his campaign pledge to end the Clinton era “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of allowing homosexuals to serve in the military so long as they remain closeted. This of course was met with a standing ovation and there is nothing more that Campaigner in Chief Barack Obama loves than a standing ovation.
Fed by the crowd’s adulation the President slipped into his familiar secular tent revival preacher mode vowing that he would “end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’. That’s my commitment to you.” In what might be considered throwing a bucket of cold water on this hot topic he had to admit that “our progress may be taking longer than we like”. In other words it is easier said than done, but that certainly did not stop him from talk, talk, talking about it in the least.
Purposely evoking images of the Civil Rights struggle of the mid 50s to late 60s the President sought to keep the audience in his corner by recognizing “that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough," still he dared ask them "Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach.” Hallelujah, Mr. President! Lead us to the Promised Land! (See, at times even I get carried away by such a persuasive speaker as Barack Obama.)
So far so good, yes? No.
Repealing, replacing, erasing or just plan getting rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is no where near as difficult as turning water into wine but despite his Messianic image it will also not take a miracle on the part of President Obama to make good on this campaign pledge. The inherent problem with Obama ’08 never having truly become the Obama Administration is that the campaigner has indeed not yet become the decider. The President hordes the political capital he earned on Election Day as though they were acorns and he a squirrel preparing for the winter! The man nominated by the Democratic Party in 2008 has yet to recognize that now in 2009 he is the President of the United States and Leader of the aforementioned Party. With firm control of both Houses of Congress and a Supreme Court which is virtually split down the middle there is no reason whatsoever for Barack Obama not to make good on this campaign promise NOW. Quite frankly I cannot help but feel that he is laying down a trail of bread crumbs to the Gay community and hoping they will continue to follow him into a second term.
Our Constitution is shamed when we have any legal discrimination in our nation and that shame is even worse when those being discriminated against are patriots risking their lives to preserve and protect that very Constitution. With the President’s already unimpressive track record of appeasement and avoiding conflict the gay community should be on guard to the possibility that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" may well be replaced by something of a different name but substantively not much different. If the President is serious there is nothing to consider: just do it; end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
Great Post, Manuel! It is very sad that "The One" is playing with the sentiments of this very large group of Americans. His speech was a cut and paste of his own previous statements. No deadline, NADA!
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