Comments on: Andrew Sullivan writes for a more perfect Union http://www.entangledalliances.com/2009/05/andrew-sullivan-writes-for-a-more-perfect-union/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:14:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rene C. Moya http://www.entangledalliances.com/2009/05/andrew-sullivan-writes-for-a-more-perfect-union/comment-page-1/#comment-2838 Rene C. Moya Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:42:08 +0000 http://www.entangledalliances.com/?p=1341#comment-2838 'Yes, I’m one of those rose tinted people...' Oh God. Am I the only jaded 25-year old in the world? Mind, I was very moved when he won, and rather proud--I was also excruciatingly drunk, prancing about Finchley at 4-5 AM with my British friends. But I can't understand the 'Obama-Is-Messiah' crowd. It's a little...off-putting. :) As for the gay rights issue, I don't think it's ever entirely fair to compare different social norms across time. And it's entirely unfair, I think, comparing Clinton entering into office in 1993 to Obama's in 2009. 16 years is indeed a very long time, and attitudes towards homosexuality in America have softened considerably in comparison--state constitutional amendments not withstanding. What rankles many LGBTQ (however the acronym goes) activist friends of mine is the paltry/token mention of gay rights by Mr. Obama so far given that marked improvement over the past 2 decades. ‘Yes, I’m one of those rose tinted people…’

Oh God. Am I the only jaded 25-year old in the world? Mind, I was very moved when he won, and rather proud–I was also excruciatingly drunk, prancing about Finchley at 4-5 AM with my British friends. But I can’t understand the ‘Obama-Is-Messiah’ crowd. It’s a little…off-putting. :)

As for the gay rights issue, I don’t think it’s ever entirely fair to compare different social norms across time. And it’s entirely unfair, I think, comparing Clinton entering into office in 1993 to Obama’s in 2009. 16 years is indeed a very long time, and attitudes towards homosexuality in America have softened considerably in comparison–state constitutional amendments not withstanding.

What rankles many LGBTQ (however the acronym goes) activist friends of mine is the paltry/token mention of gay rights by Mr. Obama so far given that marked improvement over the past 2 decades.

]]> By: Chris Fellingham http://www.entangledalliances.com/2009/05/andrew-sullivan-writes-for-a-more-perfect-union/comment-page-1/#comment-1665 Chris Fellingham Thu, 14 May 2009 14:42:58 +0000 http://www.entangledalliances.com/?p=1341#comment-1665 That said, I take your point that he didn't get that much done That said, I take your point that he didn’t get that much done

]]> By: Chris Fellingham http://www.entangledalliances.com/2009/05/andrew-sullivan-writes-for-a-more-perfect-union/comment-page-1/#comment-1663 Chris Fellingham Thu, 14 May 2009 14:40:18 +0000 http://www.entangledalliances.com/?p=1341#comment-1663 Working out the old revision. Well, I meant in terms of his reputation Working out the old revision. Well, I meant in terms of his reputation

]]> By: Mark Bailey http://www.entangledalliances.com/2009/05/andrew-sullivan-writes-for-a-more-perfect-union/comment-page-1/#comment-1652 Mark Bailey Thu, 14 May 2009 07:52:27 +0000 http://www.entangledalliances.com/?p=1341#comment-1652 I'm not sure in what sense Kennedy was a "great liberal". He has very few achievements to his name, which obviously wasn't entirely his fault given the timescale. But his presidency was in somewhat of a funk by '63, and, despite thumping Democratic majorities, the Congress he worked with wasn't very liberal either owing to the Dixiecrats' hold on power. Certainly nowhere near as liberal as the Dixiecrat-purged, DSG-dominated Congress on the early 1970s. You had to wait for LBJ's legislative wrangling in '64 and the 89th Congress in '65 for anything much to happen. Kennedy seems to be a cautious, Cold Warrior, whose hand was forced over things like Birmingham, but who wasn't doing a great job of it because of the constraints of his time and his own ambivalence. I’m not sure in what sense Kennedy was a “great liberal”. He has very few achievements to his name, which obviously wasn’t entirely his fault given the timescale. But his presidency was in somewhat of a funk by ‘63, and, despite thumping Democratic majorities, the Congress he worked with wasn’t very liberal either owing to the Dixiecrats’ hold on power. Certainly nowhere near as liberal as the Dixiecrat-purged, DSG-dominated Congress on the early 1970s. You had to wait for LBJ’s legislative wrangling in ‘64 and the 89th Congress in ‘65 for anything much to happen.

Kennedy seems to be a cautious, Cold Warrior, whose hand was forced over things like Birmingham, but who wasn’t doing a great job of it because of the constraints of his time and his own ambivalence.

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