The most obvious possibility is that Obama is attempting to appeal to his LGBT constituents and their allies by finding less controversial ways to support gay rights issues. Earlier in April, Obama came under fire by gay rights activists for refusing to sign an executive order that would have banned workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for companies that the government has contracts with. Reportedly, the Obama administration declined to do this because Obama supports a legislative Employment Non-Discrimination Act rather than an executive order--something which surely doesn't stand a chance of passing in the Republican-controlled House. Obama saying that he supports legislative rather than executive reform on this topic is a tempting way to shift responsibility for the issue onto Congress, and avoid taking a strong stance on this thorny topic.
It is a very real possibility that Obama, aware that it is an election year, is simply wary of getting into inevitable legal battles over the proposed executive order. Considering that Obama is the only feasible presidential choice for someone who supports gay rights, he may believe that it won't hurt him to play a conservative hand until the election. Obama can probably bank on having the liberal vote; right now he needs to appeal to moderates. Instead, perhaps Obama is aiming to woo his more liberal constituencies through less risky measures, such as having his Vice President speak on the topic. Rate this posting:
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