Thank you to John Carney and Tom Carper
Pandora mentioned this in the open thread yesterday, but I think it deserves more attention. For we here at Delaware Liberal are ready to criticize the both Congressman John Carney and Senator Tom Carper for their centrist corporatist tendencies on any given day, we should at least recognize them when they do what we want. But first, allow me to put on my cynical and analytical hat and note that both waited until it was absolutely clear that there would be no negative political and electoral ramifications for coming out (pun intended) in support of marriage equality. Indeed, I suspect they both acted this week because it became clear that there would be negative political and electoral ramifications for not supporting marriage equality in this deeply blue state.
While I do respect an ‘evolution’ of position on this issue since I myself was once a “yes civil unions no gay marriage” kind of guy, I also admire someone who just came out and said he was for marriage equality, period. That was Chris Coons in 2010. I am glad Carney and Carper saw fit to join him.
Here is Carper’s statement:
“Through my prayers and conversations with my family and countless friends and Delawareans, I’ve been reminded of the power of one of my core values: the Golden Rule. It calls on us to treat others as we want to be treated. That means, to me, that all Americans ultimately should be free to marry the people they love and intend to share their lives with, regardless of their sexual orientation.”
Here is Carney’s statement:
“I continue to respect and support the rights of religious institutions to define marriage in accordance with the tenets of their faith. However, I do not believe it is right for the government to treat couples differently based on their sexual orientation. Marriage equality will ensure that same-sex couples in Delaware receive the same treatment under the law[.] For over a generation, we as a society have honored the truth that separate is not equal. On the surface, this may just sound like a debate about words. But marriage is also symbolic — it gives honor to a lifelong partnership in a way that civil unions do not. This June, I will be married 20 years. I know that marriage is about commitment, love, and mutual respect.”
Is Delaware the only state who’s entire congressional delegation supports civil rights?
I’m glad they’re all on board. We have no idea what personal challenges they’ve faced around this, and I don’t think the electoral math was an issue. As I said to a friend the other day, “This state is so blue, Carper could gay-marry triplets and keep his seat.” Therefore, I just think they needed time. Glad they got here.
Carper and Carney evolve as their pollsters tell them to evolve. Carper even mentions ‘God’ and ‘prayer’ a lot b/c his pollsters tell him that both have a high Q rating with the low IQ hayseeds Carper is trying to mollify.
I’m sorry, but we don’t owe them thanks for not sticking to a politically-untenable position. Which includes ‘no position’. We just need to recognize their ‘evolutions’ for what they are: Business as usual.
How overwhelming does the poll have to be to change a Senator’s position? According to polls, exactly the same percentage of Americans support gay marriage (53%) as were opposed to extending tax cuts on the rich in 2010. Yet 80 senators voted against public opinion to extend the tax cuts on the rich.
And public support for the health care public option at one point reached 77% and was always above 50%. yet not one Republican changed their position, plus a handful of turncoat Democrats.
I guess the only polls that matter are in the Senator’s home state.
I’m no fancy elected official, but I can’t recall a time when I was against gay marriage, and I’m only a few years younger than Congressman Carney and FTR, straight and Catholic.
I understand the cynicism when elected officials change positions. I, too, often find myself cynical when such people suddenly change positions. I temper, however, when it is people I know and I have watched them evolve. I have had many conversations on LGBT rights with John Carney and Tom Carper in the last 5 years. In that time I served as political vp and then president of the Barbara Gittings Delaware Stonewall Democrats and also a board member of Equality Delaware. John Carney spoke in favor of civil unions in 2008, when such a law was not even being contemplated in Delaware ( we were still fighting for an anti-discrimination bill). I believe he came around to supporting marriage equality the same way many people have-getting to know gay people and learning to understand the barriers they were up against.
I have also interacted much the same way with Senator Carper. In the Spring of 2011, I approached him at a Sussex County Democratic Dinner and told him that a civil union bill was being filed in Delaware and that I would like him to be on the Advisory Committee of Equality Delaware. He didn’t say he would get back to me after he spoke to his advisors or after he conducted a poll. He said “yes” without hesitation. I do not doubt that in 2011 he would not have supported marriage equality. Very few elected officials in Delaware did ( yes, Chris Coons is the exception and he deserves credit for that). The fact is that Tom Carper does not have to support marriage equality in 2013 because he has to worry about an election in 2018. Cynicism is understandable. However, I am not going to be one who attacks someone for not taking the “correct” position on an issue, demand they take that position, and still attack their motive when they do change position. Thank you John Carney and Tom Carper.
Well, Mitch, I, too, have known Tom Carper since forever. 1981, to be exact. There was a time when I believed he was a reformer, got sucked in, and worked like crazy for his elections.
I found out that the only reform he sought was to substitute bigger campaign bucks through the banks for the penny-ante bucks that Gene Reed brought in from the construction trades.
For over 30 years now, I’ve seen this guy devolve into one of the worst corporate whores in Washington.
I’m tired of ‘thanking’ him for deigning to toss a few crumbs on the floor. When you consider that he has held office for something like 35 years now, ask yourself this question: “Why?”
The answer: Because he’s always been an obsessive Robo-candidate. He’s never stood for anything in DC other than serving his corporate masters and getting reelected.
He’ll need to do a whole lot more good before I thank him for anything. Unless he retires today, in which case I’ll thank him for that.
Here’s my problem with Carper’s reasoning: What if his prayers had directed him to opposed gay marriage? That’s the case with many of the opponents, and I view it as an invalid position in a secular government.
Either prayer is a valid way of reaching a political decision or its not; it can’t just depend on whether he comes to the conclusion that agrees with mine. So even if he has now done the right thing, it was for the wrong reason.
geezer, there is clearly a difference between what kind of logic ought to apply and what kind of logic works on the masses.
There’s plenty of overwhelming polling showing public support for NOT cutting Social Security and none of these guys are evolving towards that. I think that supporting marriage equality is more about knowing that their funders won balk.
@geezer: Exactly. I want somebody who uses reason and ethics (and maybe even the equal protection clause) to reach decisions, not prayer.
Marriage equality should be a no brainer for Delaware Dems, as such our two “centrist” sell outs struggled with the concept. The primary “morality” of politicians remains money and reelection, in that order, all the rest about “prayers” and such is window dressing for the foaming far right holy rollers.