Why Barack Won't Dump McClurkin: It's Cynical Politics Baby Pure and Simple

Politicians do two things better than anything else. The first is they are masters at saying whatever it takes to get elected. The second is they obsessively crunch numbers; and the only number that counts is the number of votes they can get to put them over the top. These two crass and cynical talents of politicians aren't mutually exclusive. Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is a fast study of a well-meaning politician that's cultivating those talents.

The Donnie McClurkin flap is a virtual textbook example of that. When this writer called Obama out on his scheduled October 28 South Carolina gospel tour appearance with the Grammy winning, anti-gay morals crusader, Obama snapped back with a public statement hotly insisting that he's a staunch opponent of homophobia and that he vehemently disagreed with McClurkin's views. He probably means it. He's been the paragon of political correctness on gay issues in press statements, and in his campaign stump speeches. But Obama is a politician. It would look awful strange for him as a liberal, and a self-professed change America, consensus guy to say and do anything else. That goes hand in hand with the second thing politician Obama has mastered, counting votes. When it comes to getting those crucial votes, flowery statements and speeches on tolerance mean little.

Obama has looked hard at the numbers in South Carolina and elsewhere, and knows that there are a lot of socially conservative blacks who loathe gay marriage and any talk of gay rights. Their numbers have not budged one inch downward in the past decade. In 1996, 65 percent of blacks were opposed to gay marriage. A decade later a Pew Forum poll found that 64 percent of blacks still vehemently opposed it. While the opposition to same-sex marriage among blacks is frozen in time, white and Latino opposition to it has dropped. The only other group whose disdain for gay marriage hasn't budged an inch downward is the hard line evangelicals.

Put the words black, evangelical, and voter together and it translates out to thousands of potential voters ripe for an overt or subtle tap of anti-gay sentiment. South Carolina is the first big state primary, and blacks make up nearly fifty percent of Democratic voters in the state. A good chunk of them are evangelical leaning. Their votes can make or break Obama's national efforts. McClurkin can help, and help him in a big way. He's black, popular, and an outspoken evangelical. Obama can have it both ways with him. He can publicly denounce his views, which he has, while latching onto to his crowd-pulling coat tails.

The South Carolina saga is no aberration when it comes to a politician reading the evangelical political tea leafs. The first big warning sign that the issue of gay rights could inflame, polarize and even energize blacks within and without the black pulpit came in October, 2003. At a tightly packed press conference, five of Michigan's top black prelates publicly called on the state legislature to amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The subsequent ballot measure passed and more than fifty percent of blacks backed it.

That touched off bells and whistles among GOP strategists. They knew that they had hit the political jackpot. Gay bashing could gain a few more black votes for the GOP, soften black support for the Democrats, and all without the risk of alienating core white conservative Republicans. The Massachusetts court ruling in November 2003 upholding gay marriage was even more cause for euphoria by GOP strategists who were working overtime to hammer down the blooming alliance with black evangelicals. A Pew Research Poll taken right after the court decision found that far more blacks than whites sharply disagreed with the court's decision.

Bush capitalized on that sentiment and of course the rest is bitter history. But the gay bash card has lain tantalizingly on the political table since the 2004 election and it can be played by any politician seeking votes among conservatives. Democrats do not dare play the card the same crude, naked bigoted way that some Republicans played it. That would ignite howls of hypocrisy and alienate party liberals. In fact, it's almost laughable to hear the tortured gyrations that blind faith Obama backers go through to justify his flirt with McClurkin. If Republican presidential contenders Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, or Mitt Romney had publicly hyped an appearance with a very public gay basher, they'd scream bloody murder. But Obama did just that and he gets a free pass. Amazing!

While Obama will publicly say and do the right thing in condemning homophobia through the front door, the temptation to cash in on it through the back door is evidently just too irresistible. It's crass, cynical, but it's politics baby pure and simple. And that's all the more reason to keep the heat on Obama to dump McClurkin.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is
The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation between African-Americans and Hispanics (Middle Passage Press). [e-mail]

Comments

[Imhotep]

Intolerance toward gay's within the black community? Who woulda thunk it? Peace

[sedalia066]

How sad to think you are right on saying politicians "are masters at saying whatever it takes to get elected." Too bad we don't have a few more truth sayers not afraid to let people know what is right instead of what is more electable.

[Marlyn]

Kucinich 2008

[FirstShirt]

Ron Paul '08.

[TurnThePageGA]

If you are in fact. I will say my postings for the Clintonistas.

[genmalia]

Obama always says what he believes, just as he said he didn't agree with McClurkin's views. Are you politically in-line with the musicians you listen to?

[cuthbertallgood]

Why do you pretend that we are talking about a musician someone listens to?
We are talking about a singing Minister who was selected by a candidate for President of the United States of America to appear with him to reach out to voters who agree with that Minister.
A Minister who says he is at war with a segment of the American population, who says that in that war the gloves are off.

[jalowe1957]

There is an old saying that applies to this particular situation: Lie down with dogs, expect to get fleas.

What I find particularly pathetic about Donnie McClurkin is his denial of what is essentially a part of his human nature. That's analogous to Jeannie Crain as a light-skinned African-American woman trying to pass for white in the 1949 film "Pinky."

To paraphrase a famous line quoted by Ethel Waters in the film, "Shame on you, Donnie McClurkin. Trying to deny yourself the way Peter denied Jesus on the cross."

[Nardwilly]

You do not know what is his nature. He says it isnt. As confused as he may be, he know himself better than you. He belives it is sin.

[tcpgh]

Great blog. I have lost ALL respect for Obama over this. It's absolutely disgusting.

[alkamm]

Yes, respect is such a fragile thing! How easy is it to lose? How easy to be disgusted when candidates recognize political realities?
I hope you transfer your respect to those who market themselves more in line with your absolutist views. Clearly, gay rights is the only litmus test that counts. It's like the old Republican slogan, "better dead than red."
Gay people are so accepted in today's society that those from the past would be astonished at the progress. Obama is not holding back progress by using McClurkin to gain votes. Quite the contrary.

[kurttrail]

So you want a Leader that follows instead of leads.

[mrman]

I have a lot of gay friends (Los Angeles). They listen to a lot of singers and buy cds of people they don't like. If Obama was to invite McClurckin to A GAY PRIDE event you might have a beef. But the people He's speaking to do not dissagree with this man. I'm sure he'll have a lot to say on stage to all the believers about this situation.­.. as he should. And I'm sure he'll pick up mucho votes because he wasn't forerd to uninvite a performer. Sad that because of a few gay zealots...­the whole gay movement may have "dropped their candy in the sand" with the Obama campaign and his supporters for the future. You really should pick you battles better.
Let me go donate $$$ to the OBAMA campaign.

[oafishcad]

Your post would be valid if this was just a music event. It isn't. It's a political event. So the views of the people involved are open to scrutiny. You can't expect Mr. Obama to agree with every performer on every issue. You can expect him not to have overt bigots. Ask your gay friends how they feel about your dismissive attitude towards their equality.

[cuthbertallgood]

Gee mrman, I think the term you are looking for is 'uppity'. Those uppity gays, making up their own minds even after a good talking to by a straight person.
Really a nice, equal footing you come off with there, almost civilized for a DLC Democrat!

If gay people are the ones who dropped the candy, it sure is odd that while Obama has done nothing for my community that other centereists don't do once they are told it looks good, Obama has collected much funding from gay communities all over the nation, rather agressively I might add. Why, with God's favorites all lining up to serve him, would Obama need gay bucks? Uppity gay bucks no less. Gay bucks that just don't know their place.
Got anymore wisdom to share from the Ivory Tower? By the way, I love your little explaination that you live in L.A. and that is why you know some gay folk. God forbid the other DLC voters here think you know some by choice!
Some people think they sound so hip, but they are really just Bill O'Reilly at Sylvia's.

[csavage]

Good luck....
As a MD, I can tell you that I've been told by plenty of my African American patients that homosexuality is a "white problem". That attitude hampers testing and outreach in the black community regarding HIV/AIDS and any other issue that might be perceived as gay. Until the African American community accepts homosexuality as a fact of life among it's community, you won't see much support for equal rights regarding sexual orientation.

[D'arby Salt]

I think the fact that Obama is engaging a dialoge with someone so representative of the black Christian community is good.

Obama has not changed his position on gay rights. In fact, he re-stated them just the other day. A lot of people are seeing that a black politician can be for gay rights and still want to participate in Gospel music and be an outspoken Christian. It's a good move by Obama for him politically and and for the black community socially.

[jhill3rd]

Great point.

[JimR]

"A lot of people are seeing that a black politician can be for gay rights and still want to participate in Gospel music and be an outspoken Christian. It's a good move by Obama for him politically and and for the black community socially."

Thank you. Some people just can't accept that.

[kurttrail]

What dialogue is Obama engaging in with McClurkin?

[oafishcad]

As long as you think that separate but equal is being for gay rights, then Obama is for gay rights. If you think equal means equal, then he is not, nor is Hilary, nor is Edwards.