Obama Banking on Big Donations From Gay Community

As President Barack Obama seeks to deal with the furor surrounding his vague view on gay marriage, he faces the complicating factor that his re-election campaign may be dependent on donations from the gay community.

The campaign is counting on those contributions to make up for money it is losing from other wealthy donors who previously supported the president but were soured by his performance in office, Politico reports.

Gay donors have given more than expected so far, as they were impressed by Obama’s firm stance in overturning the military's “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, the news service reports. The importance of gay donors is reflected in the makeup of the Obama campaign’s finance committee. It includes 15 gay men this year, compared to one in 2008, a source told Politico.

Top gay fundraising officials include the campaign’s finance director Rufus Gifford, Democratic National Committee Treasurer Andrew Tobias, and White House social secretary — traditionally an important but unofficial, fundraising job — Jeremy Bernard, Gifford's former partner.

A review of donors done by The Washington Post finds that about one in six of the Obama campaign's top bundlers are gay.

Obama, meanwhile, is being pressured by members of his administration to take a position on the issue. Vice President Joe Biden, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan have all announced that they support the issue, focusing attention on the president, The Washington Post reported.

Members of Obama’s team are torn about endorsing gay marriage before November, fearing a backlash by conservatives, the working class and African Americans. However, Obama may not be able to postpone the issue.

“It’s my understanding there are people in the campaign, the White House and the administration who are talking about what he will say if he is asked,” Winnie Stachelberg, executive vice president of the liberal Center for American Progress, told the Post.

Until about a year ago, gays actually felt spurned by Obama. But then came his action on the military issue. In addition, the Justice Department recently decided against defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

“It’s ironic — a year ago there was no constituency more unhappy. There was a sea change,” David Mixner, a veteran New York gay activist told Politico. “You not only will see a united community that will contribute to Obama, but they will work their asses off.”

The effort to court gays is being complicated now by Obama’s stance on gay marriage. In the past he has said he opposed it but that his views are “evolving.”

Richard Socarides, a prominent gay activist, said the campaign has “a problem of their own making.”

“The president’s ‘evolving strategy’ could maybe work for them as a stopgap, but you can’t be evolving on a significant national policy issue for two years, especially in a presidential election. I don’t think it serves him well. Really, as a political matter, it’s too cute,” he told the Post.

Regardless, the re-election campaign has focused on raising money from gay donors and, while many are pressing for the president to get off the dime, others are taking a more practical position.

“No one disputes that this guy has gotten more done for LGBT equality at the federal level than all 43 previous presidents combined,” top Obama bundler Andrew Tobias, who serves as treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, told the Post. “No one disputes that. Or that there will be further progress if he gets a second term.”