Obama's MTV News Interview: Discusses Gay Marriage, Paying For College, More (VIDEO)

When an MTV viewer wanted to know what Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama thought of Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment on the 2008 California general-election ballot that would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, MTV News brought the question straight to the man himself.

"I think it's unnecessary," Obama told Sway, in response to a question sent in by Gangstagigz from San Leandro, California. "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them."

Keep reading here.

-OR-

Watch a clip from the interview below.

MTV Shows

Comments

[Bluejay00234]

O is live


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/31/watch-obama-live-in-iowa_n_139694.html

Look at this happy crowd compared to the McSame one who needed Arnold. lol

[Lotus19]

Thank you

[newpotusplease]

I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH PAY EQUITY FOR WOMEN

AND HEALTH CARE FOR ALL

NOT WITH INCREASING INCOME DISPARITIES BASED AROUND THAT SILLY MYTH CALLED MARRIAGE

SINGLE UNMARRIED PEOPLE ARE GETTING SCREUUD

MARRIED PEOPLE ARE WORKING THE SYSTEM

[SonofLiberty1]

I agree...

Maybe these folks have a "Secret Agenda"...

Make unmarried straight guys 3rd class citizens?

[newpotusplease]

unmarried straight girls 3rd class citizens?

unmarried straight girls with kid(s) 3rd class citizens?

[LoveMuffin]

I hope one day a presidential candidate will finally be willing to admit they support gay marriage. I keep holding out hope that Barack says he doesn't believe in gay marriage because it's politically safer, but deep down he does believe in equal rights. He does mention gays and lesbians in his speeches when he really doesn't have to, which makes me think maybe he does care. I really hope so. We'll see soon enough, I guess.

[Bubbas]

I'm not gay, but I completely agree. It's a shame ultimately that one cannot be open or even non-religious in order to run a successful campaign.

I think he knows (as well as a good majority of Americans do) that it's a political dead-end to openly admit support for gay marriage. But right now he just needs to win.

America isn't perfect by any means, but his election is a step in the right direction.

[Georgiamitch]

I agree and I'm hoping it's safer to stick to this line until electedfor the horrible hatred out there.

but I do want to marry my partner of almost five years someday soon.

[starboymikey]

A "No on 8" flyer I just got yesterday had a funny quote attributed to Groucho Marx. I don't know whether or not he really said it, but it sounds like a Grouch quip:

"Of course gays should be able to marry. Why shouldn't they suffer like the rest of us?"

[BillORights1776]

Groucho was a wise wise man, though I doubt it's his quote. (I've seen it attributed to Dolly Parton too)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Mq8OdAAEc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu-BITFvVx8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0fVomAP2M

[SonofLiberty1]

Senator Obama is a Christian and he is willing to say what he believes.
Sorry but you are just going to have to live with it.

Most human beings are not gay and you are just going to have to live with that fact too.

[nd2010]

The point isn't to "make people gay," contrary to neoc o n fear tactics, it's to make sure those who ARE gay don't have their rights stripped away by a bunch of hypocritical "moralists" who have to justify their faith by forcing it on other people.

[Fredo777]

"Most human beings are not gay..."

Who said most humans were gay + what difference does that make, anyway?

[UltraLiberal]

We're talking about state laws here. The bible has nothing to do with it.

[soomal]

here it is THE REPUBLICAN DOWNFALL! :

/watch?v=F­xm20ZcONOk

and to comment on this video, i cant! i cant seem to load it here in canada, but im sure it will be up on youtube soon!! cant wait to see it!

[veggiequeenmo]

obama is entitled to his opinion, as am i. i don't see anything wrong with two people engaging in a mutual adult relationship. gays being married is no big deal to me. i'm a happily married heterosexual and i'm not threatened by gay marriage or gays at all. if "marriage" is the only thing that is keeping gays from all the benefits of at traditional man/woman marriage, them let them get married or at the very least make sure a civil union counts when it comes to benefits. it's stupid to deny anyone benefits because they are gay (or black or a woman or sick, etc.) i guess there are still lots of people who are scared of gays. what a shame.

[OBXartist]

I agree, Veggiequeen. Gay marriage WILL happen, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But I think it will happen sooner than we would expect from looking back at other civil rights struggles as examples. It just seems to me, all questionable religious moralism aside, that if you have two people who truly love one another, who truly care for one another enough to bind themselves legally and ceremoniously together, to the exclusion of all others, that that is something that should be celebrated and promoted by society. I think America hurts itself by denying the right of marriage to responsible adults simply because they are the same gender.

[newpotusplease]

on Nov 5th or 6th, when you need another cause to work for please consider

a food bank donation drive
or something like
running a one warm coat drive at work or at your school or ...

info here:
http://onewarmcoat.org/index.php

cause the winter season is going to be rough for a lot of folks

[SonofLiberty1]

Yes, why can't we spend time helping people in need rather than being so into ourselves?
Sorry, I forgot...m­any are still stuck in the "ME" generation:(

[AZterritory]

Great idea--and tell them we are doing it in honor of the new president.

[proggirl]

Gay marriage is an idea that will become a reality in a generation or two. It takes time for a change that big, in every sense, to become a reality, and we have to wait for the current school of thought to phase out.
Obama is trying to bring an unpopular, but socially just, idea into focus. He has to straddle the fence on this one. Nobody who speaks out in favor of gay marriage is going to be elected President- not yet, anyway.
I am a part of the GLBT community. I say we cut Obama some slack. He's on our side and doing as much as he can for us.

[SonofLiberty1]

And if that happens the second coming of Christ may not be too far away.
According to St. Faustina, it might not be too far away right now.

[BillORights1776]

Bravo for your insight!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Mq8OdAAEc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu-BITFvVx8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0fVomAP2M

[AngryCitizen]

as long as you remember we said the same thing about Bill Clinton. "Cut him some slack...et­c."

[GoNitro]

I agree with you that Obama has to tread lightly in this area. Like the abortion issue, this is a delicate area right now and to say anything more would be political suicide.

You may be right that we have to wait a generation or two for gay marriage to become a reality. I hope, though, that people will become more accepting of same-sex commitments in the short term.

[pgurlatl]

I don't live in Cali. I'm not for gay marriage personally but I think Proposition 8 is Propoganda Hate. I don't care what other people do in their relationships. That isn't my call.

But I wonder about those who see fit to tell 2 men or 2 women what marriage is.

[merle7]

MARRIAGE IS A DIVINE INSTITUTION BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMEN. GENSIS 2:18-24
1 CORINTHIANS 7:2

[aedelbert]

You assume everyone drinks your kool-aid.

[SonofLiberty1]

hey, I can say the same thing too:)

[veggiequeenmo]

but does it exclude others?

[crayola 08]

sorry, that's the one Genisis song i never liked.

[CrackerJacker]

I read somewhere that JC's least favourite was "I Can't Dance". I mean after the crucifixion he hobbled so damned much, people played it when he came in the room just to rub salt.

[mrqcguy]

You know where you can put your bible....

[aedelbert]

Ha. So you're a polygamist? Or you just can't read?

[EquinsuOcha]

Yeah, ride that fence.

But since the question has been posed, and the answer given, I'd like to know more. Why exactly do you oppose gay marriage Mr. Obama? Is your opinion based upon Constitutionality or scripture? Explain to me, as a voter, why your current point of view is the appropriate course of action for the country.

[sanywhere]

does it matter if he is not in favor of an amendment banning it. you are just trying to stir it up.

[EquinsuOcha]

No, but as an Obama supporter, I've been very impressed with his ability to assess a situation intelligently, and come to a conclusion that even if you disagree with him, you know he weighed all options.

This does not appear to be the case here. I know he has to pander to religious types who base their views upon "Christianity", but I"m going to call him to task on it because I doubt he, or anyone who supports a gay marriage ban, can tell me exactly WHERE in scripture it says that Christ was opposed to homosexuality. If you bring out Leviticus, I'll dismantle your argument in a matter of seconds. The truth is, people just ASSUME that Christianity opposes same sex coupling, but that's just the opposite of the truth. Following blindly, or kissing up to ignorant people is NOT the sort of behavior I want to endorse in my future president.

[Yola]

The man is a christian who believes what he believes but he also respects the constitution. Hey, that is not riding the fence that is having an opinion! As President not everyone will agree with what he agrees with but that is life.

[Salon]

I would like to know what his precise opinion is on a variety of issues. Riding the fence, seems to apply to his candidacy in general.

[DontBeFoolish]

Sorry gang, but I say YES on 8.

[CrackerJacker]

Pour quoi?

[Yola]

Why should straight people be the only ones to enjoy the misery of marriage? I kid, I kid! Marriage is such a wonderful thing!

[veggiequeenmo]

you do have a point. there are many, many marriages that end up horribly and there are legal consequences, too. child support, spousal support, bills, etc. anyone who has been divorced knows what i'm talking about.

[rwhiteside]

Then you are foolish. You don't believe that the whole point of the constitution is to secure rights, not prohibit entire classes of people from enjoying the same rights as others. You are a fool!

[aedelbert]

I agree and here's why:

Marriage belongs is a religious institution and belongs in a church. Everyone--man and woman, man and man, woman and woman--should be given the same documentation from the state granting them all the legal and constitutional rights two people should have when they make a commitment to each other.

If they want some additional, faith-based ceremony, it should never be facilitated by the state.

You don't have to go to church, but you can't stay here.

[LAJonathan]

Marriage is a legal contract..­.without one, your church marriage is invalid. WRONG. See?

[LAJonathan]

misunderstood, sorry

[DontBeFoolish]

They do have those legal rights. It's called CIVIL UNION. Sorry, I still say YES on 8.

[eus]

Hmmm, maybe government should divorce itself from marriage and tax each individual as an individual -- there should be absolutely no benefits or penalties for being married. Can't the justice of peace solemnize marriage? Get rid of that too. Absolutely no govt involvement. And then, as long as we're going by religion, lets disallow divorce. The only was you can unhitch is by death. Isnt "till death do us part" a common phrase in the marriage ceremony?
In the "new" world Brains cant marry Beauty, Objects cant marry Templates, Jazz cant marry Pop or Blues, and most importantly, the marriage of Peanuts and Chocolate should absolutely be annulled.

[newpotusplease]

brave to say that in this forum, just want to say that
there are liberal versions of the Bachmann's around
you know the "think the way I think" types

[Fredo777]

This is a liberal-leaning blog, obviously.

[paganmist]

I applaud this man. His religion prevents him from personally supporting gay marriage, HOWEVER, he is keeping his religion separate when it comes to government.

I am an atheist, so I don't believe in religion, but I respect other's religion..­. as long as they keep it to themselves. Especially in government.

I admire him for his stance. I think it says something about him that despite his religion, he still is against Prop 8.

[eus]

hear, hear. its not his place to take sides based on his personal christian beliefs and he recognizes this. too bad more people are this respectful of constitutional rights.

[walsenberg]

I agree and it is not a cop out.

[eus]

AND, I dont believe anything that challenges the constitutional rights of a group of Americans based on another group's religious belief system belongs on a ballot to be voted on. Its a phenomenal waste of taxpayer money, besides.

[SonofLiberty1]

Show me line and verse in our constitution about Gay Marriage?

Seriously, a constitution is about the relationship of government to the governed.

Not interpersonal relationships.