At FDL, Teddy Partridge explains why the failure of the Obama administration to act on LGBT issues will matter in 2010:
Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama draw the wrong lessons about where progressives LBGTs will go in 2010. It’s not that we’ll vote for the talibangelical GOP. After all, we’re not total idiots. We know those people would just as soon Ugandize our asses as look at us.The danger is that we will stay at home. And we’ll stay at home not just on Election Day, but on every phone-banking, neighborhood-walking, vote-by-mailing, voter-IDing, precinct-organizing, campaign-blogging day before that. That’s a lot of wo/manpower to run a mid-term campaign without.
Moreover: We are the opinion leaders in our small communities. We are the folks our less engaged friends look to for guidance. Most people don’t pay attention to politics like we do, and they expect us to tell them what’s important and what matters. If our reaction when asked about electing Democrats again in 2010 is ‘meh’ will that motivate the less-engaged among them to vote? Expect a lot of “wait, you said you weren’t excited about that?” when we try to drag them out to the polls on Election Day 2010.
What will we say to them, “Oh, but the Democrats have promised us they’ll move on our issues now!” They’ll laugh at us.
And they’ll be right. Elections have consequences, we’re always told. If Election Day 2008 doesn’t have more positive consequences for LGBT Americans by Election Day 2010, you can expect more passivity from us, Mr President. You will have earned it. See, elections do have consequences.
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