Obama Reacts To GOP Debate Audience Booing Gay Soldier

President Obama took aim at Republicans on Sunday while speaking at a fundraiser in Silicon Valley and shared his reaction to the audience at a recent GOP presidential debate booing a gay soldier who had asked a question about "don't ask, don't tell."

Here are his comments, relayed by AMERICAblog:

"You've got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay."

"That's not reflective of who we are," Mr. Obama said. "This is a choice about the fundamental direction of our country. 2008 was an important direction. 2012 is a more important election."

At the Fox News/Google GOP debate last week, Stephen Hill, a gay soldier in Iraq, said he had to "lie about who [he] was" to serve in the military up until the recent repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." In his recorded question, he asked the GOP presidential hopefuls if they would work to walk back the recent change in policy. When the question was presented to the candidates participating in the event, some members of the audience booed loudly.

Obama's comments came during a weekend fundraising tour in which the president took a noticeably more aggressive tone against Republican politicians and the conservative media.

Obama specifically criticized Texas Governor and GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry on Sunday. He jabbed the Lone Star State Republican for continuing to deny climate change while catastrophic fires ripped through his state.

"We're going to have a stark choice in this election," he asserted. "This is a choice about who we are and what we stand for and whoever wins this next election is going to set the template for this country for a long time to come."

WATCH the scene at last week's GOP debate:

Comments

[chilidog 17]

01:08 PM on 10/03/2011

We have to start with the facts, because as the saying goes, you can have your own interpretation, but you cannot have your own facts.

First, the audience did not boo the soldier when he said he was a gay soldier. Let me repeat that because of the misreporting: the audience did not boo the soldier when he said he was a gay soldier. The audience did not boo his question; two or three people out of 5,500 did. Watch the video and see for yourself.

President Obama and the new media have misrepresented what happened and used it to slander the rest of the audience and millions of conservatives, and to divide America. It is the old "divide and conquer" approach.

I am not a conservative, and I know that some conservatives are overly negative about homosexuals, but let's try to be objective and honest, and have credibility.

[duckpuddle]

03:02 PM on 10/03/2011

You are correct one or two booed, but the rest cheered Santorum's response that he would reinvoke DADT.

What I find fascinating is the response to the "Apparently Republicans have stopped respecting soldiers" acquisition. There are many responses of "they weren't booing the soldier, they were booing the soldiers question!"

It is this parsing that I find curiously similar to the "love the sinner, hate the sin" argument. As a gay man I don't think any of this is very respectful to gay people, soldiers or otherwise. The GOP and its Tea Party would serve themselves and their core values much better if they would accept that DADT has been repealed. That battle is over and the conservative right lost.

[ThankGodhesgone]

02:42 PM on 09/29/2011

Well, it's been over a week since the repeal of DADT.

Did I miss the sky falling?

[neighborhoodmole]

04:35 PM on 09/29/2011

The satellite apparently fell over the north Pacific. If God had wanted to make a statement, this was the chance to make it fall on San Francisco or New York! But no, not even some blue state farmland.

[MathIsTruth]

10:48 AM on 10/02/2011

Excellent comment!  Because if the satellite HAD fallen on SF, it would have been (in the eyes of the Right) absolute proof positive of God's wrath regarding DADT repeal!

If I owned orchards, I would certainly hire right-wingers to do my cherry-picking!

I often will bring up the point that in the immediate aftermath of the state of Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage, the New England Patriot won two straight Super Bowls, and the Boston Red Sox won their miraculous first World Series in 86 years (including Curt Schilling's famous bloody sock stigmata game).

The response from the Right?  Crickets!

[Atwill]

08:23 AM on 09/29/2011

the best part of this story is the headline. Gay soilder. less then a month ago you'd never have read that. Thank you Obama, for giving Freedom of speech back to the gay's in the military.

[duckpuddle]

03:04 PM on 10/03/2011

You caught the important part of the story. All the rest is the dying gasps of a conservative ideal that all men are created equal, except for homosexuals and a few others.

[Atwill]

06:21 AM on 10/05/2011

It is easy ot see that most people in the USA agree with us. and the very small minority, while irritating, will never understand it

[capercaper]

02:58 PM on 09/28/2011

Wow.

Two-three peiple "boo" a presidential campaign debate question and the world is supposed to end!

N wonder this country is in trouble!

[duckpuddle]

03:06 PM on 10/03/2011

No. What ended is the discrimination of homosexuality in the United States military. The booers, the cheerers, and the candidates just can't quite accept that.

[ycr]

04:24 PM on 09/27/2011

Does this guy ever work? Between vacations, the golf course, and fundraising, it's no wonder the country is falling apart.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

09:10 AM on 10/26/2011

More so than Bush ever did, which 40% of Bussh's time was vacationing on the Ranch.
This is the number of vacations taken around this time:

Obama:67
Bush:225

[DocJoseph]

12:14 PM on 09/27/2011

Obama could have been more biting in his criticism. He could have described the sacrifices our servicemen and women make, the fact that they, regardless of sexual orientation, put their lives on the line for all of us, and all of us should respect their service.

Yes, Obama's right, that's not "who we are", but a lot more could be said. Should be said.

Ok, I said it.

[Bonnie Wolfe]

12:05 PM on 09/27/2011

His helecopters just flew over my house on their way back from delivering him to LAX. Good, he's gone now the air is fresher!

[ConsevativeUSA]

11:54 AM on 09/27/2011

Aren't these the same Democrats who called our Soldiers murderers and rapist??? I remember during the Bush years many Democrats standing up there and saying our Soldiers are murderers who are killing innocent people. But all of a sudden the are protecting Soldiers??? Second of all it sounded like two people booed the question in the audience of thousands. That doesn't seem like the whole audience. Also to me it seems like they were booing the question and not the Soldier. I just think it is funny that all of a sudden Democrats care about out troops.

[mountaingal]

01:06 PM on 09/27/2011

Are you referring to the soldiers who were convicted of atrocities in Iraq?

[Rocky68]

01:28 PM on 09/27/2011

What is the difference between booing the question and booing the soldier that asked it? What about the question was deserving of disrespect?

[Michael Legnon]

09:10 AM on 09/27/2011

How can anyone from any party, especially a party that seems to love using applied force, boo any soldier for defending our rights?

[tubette]

10:19 AM on 09/27/2011

Apparently it's a party that has a hard time connecting the dots.

[ConsevativeUSA]

11:57 AM on 09/27/2011

First it was maybe two people in the audience if you listen to the clip. It wasn't the whole audience and it seems like they were booing the question not the soldier. Also were you outraged when many Democrats accused our Soldiers of doing horrible things in Iraq?? Under Bush numerous Democrats would say our Soldiers were rapist and murderers I am sure that outraged you right?? The people on the right have the up most respect for are armed forces and it wasn't the audience who booed it was a select few and there is no telling if they were plants or not.

[duckpuddle]

03:14 PM on 10/03/2011

And the rest cheered when Santorum said he would reinstate DADT.

Your side lost this argument, better find another social wedge issue.

booing the question not the soldier = boo the sin, not the sinner = gibberish

[Vineyard House]

04:52 AM on 09/27/2011

Thank you Mr. President!!!

[windyriverman]

02:28 AM on 09/27/2011

I bet those that booed the gay soldier were planted there by obamas side. They already knew what questions were going to be asked. This was all to make the republicans look bad.
I agree with the answer . Sex has no place in the military.

[Cacey]

07:08 AM on 09/27/2011

A Fox debate and the Dems knew what questions were going to be asked? Thanks. I just got up an needed a good laugh.

[Atwill]

07:41 AM on 09/27/2011

Then do not allow married people in the military.

[chlai88]

02:18 AM on 09/27/2011

Obama is the direction in 2008. Obama will be the implementation in 2012.

[rwaller]

02:48 AM on 09/27/2011

The republicans will Lame Duck his second term from day one and the dems in Congress will not have the spine to back him.

[ColleenHarper]

05:44 AM on 09/27/2011

Unfortunately, I fear you are right.

[Pleroma]

10:53 AM on 09/27/2011

Isn't that the plan? The bi-partisan plan.

[rwaller]

02:11 AM on 09/27/2011

I have to disagree with my previous post. There is an important part of the Presidents statement that is not true: "That's not reflective of who we are." Mr. President it is exactly who we are. Every day Americans die because they do not have access to health care. Sure, those who have nothing to lose can go and be treated but the person who has built a little equity in a home will lose everything. Many chose death over bankrupting their families, that is America. Many are brought to death because they can not afford preventative medicine, that is America.

"LET THEM DIE" is exactly who and what America is. Face the facts!!!!!!!!!

[crosshatchaz]

09:17 AM on 09/27/2011

The "system" does not define the people.
There was a time when government was somewhat representative of the people. At least somewhat.
That is not the case today. The government is representative of the wealthy. Period. Lobbyists, corporate-as-people-dollars, bought-and-paid-for-politicians. On both sides.

Ignorance is no longer bliss. But people are waking up to the ugly side of America, and I for one do not like it at all. I do not believe most Americans like it either.

Perhaps I am an eternal optimist, but I do believe you are wrong.

It is a cancer of the right to live in fear, ignorance, hatred and bumper sticker mentality. I refuse to let that that cancer rule my life. Don't let it rule yours.

[JMKeynes]

12:55 PM on 09/27/2011

Hear, Hear. This is truth.

[Mistinguette Grandison]

11:27 PM on 10/24/2011

Well said. I believe we are entering the anti-Reagan years where we realize that government, if it is working in the interests of the citizens rather than the corporate lobbyists and bankers, is a good thing.

[Michael Legnon]

09:17 AM on 09/27/2011

So true. Imagine how many gop dinasours would be dead if not for medicare paying the majority of the bills. It never hurts til it hits home. Not wishing anything bad on anyone but, think people...fear and greed can cloud the mind.

[smith65791]

01:49 AM on 09/27/2011

Why do liberals like big government? Are they too simple to think for themselves?

[chlai88]

02:16 AM on 09/27/2011

Why do cons like no govt? So they can tell others how to think.

[Atwill]

07:42 AM on 09/27/2011

an becasue they dont want to pay taxes. all they want to do is sit on their porch and smoke pot and drink pruno

[amavel]

02:29 AM on 09/27/2011

Why do Conservatives like big Corporations? Are they too simple to think for themselves?

[rwaller]

01:43 AM on 09/27/2011

"You've got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay."
"That's not reflective of who we are"

Argue against what the President said here. Please, show me a single argument that you can provide to defend any of the behavior of participants in the republican debates. Tell all of us how those out bursts represent ANYTHING that America should or does represent. Please show us the ones who were home on their couch boooing and shouting right along with the others.

[IR0N TIGER]

01:50 AM on 09/27/2011

Jeopardy music***

[Mistinguette Grandison]

11:31 PM on 10/24/2011

lol.