June 6, 2008

Obama LGBT Conference Call Report

Believe it or not, my editorializing is at a bare minimum here. I think you’ll be more than able to “hear” the tone for yourself; i.e.: “Ask not what Obama will do for the LGBT community — ask what the LGBT community can sacrifice to get Obama elected.”

Suffice to say: The O Camp has a long, long way to go to convince me of anything — and its chances of convincing me to vote for their guy is next to… oh, how shall I put it? Nuthin’.

I called in at 2:57 p.m. and, after enduring the most craptastic on-hold music until 3:05 p.m., the call started at 3:06 p.m., led by Steve Hildebrand, Deputy Campaign Manager of Obama for America.

Hildebrand began by telling us this is “a very important time for our country, and for our party, and for Senator Obama, and for Senator Clinton…” and noted that while the announcement for the conference call was on short notice, nearly 1,200 people were listening in.

There will be another conference call within the next two weeks, which Obama himself will join.

Hildebrand continued: “This has obviously been a very long… exciting… painful, challenging… historic” primary process, “very historic,” between the Democratic Party’s first female and first African-American candidates. “The fact that these two candidates raised enormous sums of money” and brought in “enormous… record numbers” of new voters and volunteers “is really quite ‘impactful’ for the progressive community, [and] for the Democratic Party… [which] bodes well as we go into the general election.”

Hildebrand expressed the hope that the Hillary Clinton supporters on the call could “wrap your head around the situation, to hopefully join Barack and his venture,” moving forward at whatever pace was comfortable, while he recognizes “the pain that goes with this.”

“Know that you have a welcome home here, and that we need your help, we want your help, and we will take you whenever you’re ready — if you get to that point.”

After explaining that the call would be limited to 30 minutes (because it was an expensive call), and there would be no Q&A (although you could still submit questions via the Web), Hildebrand introduced Elizabeth Birch, former executive director of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and Clinton supporter.

(Birch, of all people — I mean, I really respect the woman — pissed me off to no end. See if you can figure out why.)

Birch:

“I was asked by the Senator Obama campaign to try to articulate what the Hillary Clinton people are feeling at this juncture… I was surprised at my own reaction… On the night of June 3rd I was in San Francisco… and I burst into tears… I was so upset… and it was sort of — it was a painful moment, and it was acute, and I hadn’t expected it.

“I had come to admire Senator Obama a great deal… [but] it was extra-complex in our family.” Birch explained that she and her partner are the parents of two nine-year-old, biracial twins — “so we had to be careful about how wildly enthusiastic we were about [Clinton] in front of the children. … It was complex and emotional…

“On June 3rd, I think there were three things going on, at least for me. … [While I don’t speak for everyone], I think I speak for a lot of women, and men as well…

“[First], just the emotions that burst up, when you gave a vanquished warrior — and [Clinton] has been a warrior. Say what you will; this woman has been tested and tested and tested, again and again. …

“[Second:] And then I started to think: to know my daughter, at the age of 9, at this early and formative age, won’t get to see a woman president.

Third, Birch reflected on being a “scrappy 12-year-old” herself, and (I could only surmise from the context) having grown up during the first wave of feminism: “There was an enormous amount of estrogen operating in those days… We felt we could do anything… take the world by storm. [We didn’t want to be better than men, but] if we could just rise to these highest offices, it would set a tone for life.

“So there’s a heartbreak in [Clinton] losing — but it’s not all about [Clinton] herself. It has to do with the lives of women… who are projecting [themselves onto] this grand screen.

“As a mother, I know deep, deep in my heart, that [it’s as important] for my kids to see a woman take the helm as to see a very wise, very strong, very effervescent man, who is black and white like them, take a leadership position in this country.”

Asking for “patience” from Hillary supporters, Birch concluded: “We will be able to turn our hearts over to the other equally important dream and necessity of electing the first African-American [president].

“Most important, none of us will tolerate for one more minute a third Bush [term] — which is what McCain represents.”

Back to Hildebrand:

“A quick update… In the process of moving very quickly into general election mode, [we have] spent [about] the last six weeks putting together [plans for] a budget [and] processes to quickly move into general election mode, should we get to that opportunity.”

Hildebrand then went into plans for “state operations in all 50 states”; the Obama campaign will not be focusing solely on “battleground states,” but will be “teeing off of what Howard Dean has done” [with his 50-state strategy].

Then came a plug for the Obama Web site (for those who want to get involved on the ground), and then Hildebrand went back to the 50-state plan: “There will be extensive offices — not just one per state, [but] several hundred. We also have very quickly joined forces with the Democratic National Committee, and [with] the Democratic National Convention staff.”

Next, Hildebrand appeared to be illustrating Obama’s gay cred with a list of notable LGBT activists who had joined the Obama campaign in an official capacity (the descriptions of who these people are, are mine; Hildebrand seemed to assume that everyone on the conference call would know every one of them by name alone):

• Brian Bond, Executive Director of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council (GLLC), will be joining the Obama campaign next week in Chicago, “not just for [LGBT] outreach, but [to head] all constituency operations.”

• Joan Garry (former executive director of GLAAD) and Kevin Jennings (founder and executive director of GLSEN), co-chairs of Obama’s LGBT finance operations, “need as much help as possible to put resources together…”

Hildebrand then acknowledged the efforts of Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin, “fighting for our rights in Congress, and what they have done to be such leaders for us… We look forward to working with them.”

Then Hildebrand thanked Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor David Cicilline, head of the Democratic Mayors Association, “one of our most prominent gay elected officials.” (I’m not sure what he was thanking Cicilline for, but I’m guessing because the mayor is heavily involved with the Obama campaign.)

Then Hildebrand announced that Melissa Etheridge had agreed, about six weeks ago, to be “one of about a dozen” co-chairs of Obama’s “50-state registration and mobilization campaign.”

“We have formed teams in all 50 states to put together what we hope [will be] the most successful voter registration drive… We’ve had incredible success in… Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina… Literally hundreds of thousands of new voters want to be active, ’cause they know how much trouble our country has been facing.”

Coming back to the Clinton supporters: “I also want you to — when you’re ready — to become very involved with our campaign… We need the help — there’s no question about that.”

In his many conversations with gay people, Hildebrand said, “we certainly recognize [Clinton’s] strength with gay voters. … I think there’s a lot of information we need to provide on Barack’s… ‘rock-solid’ [positions on gay rights]… There are a lot of people who question [Obama’s commitment to the LGBT community]. … [We need] a significant education program.”

Hildebrand then turned the mic over to Human Rights Campaign head Joe Solmonese (who, to his credit, was calling in from the road, literally; he was on his bike, in the midst of the California AIDS Ride).

Solmonese started by expressing surprise that the one thing “most people” have been talking to him about this week is the LOGO debate held last summer. That the debate was attended by all the candidates (never mind, Joe, that you excluded Mike Gravel, until you were pressured to include him) illustrates the power of the LGBT community on the national stage.

Solmonese launched right into an appeal for all LGBTs to join the Obama campaign, citing “the degree to which our community has moved onto other campaigns” (meaning, as the other candidates dropped out of the race).

He praised Hillary Clinton, saying there is “no greater hero” to the LGBT community, and that he knows “many people are disappointed… but it speaks to the real power of our community that we have such an ally as [Obama],” and that Obama “has a vision of America that includes us. He sees us — he sees we are part of the fabric of America. … He has told me… that he sees it as his calling bring disparate communities together.”

Then (and it was surprising no one had mentioned it yet) Solmonese brought up Obama’s speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church, and how Obama “told the congregants that they should do a better job of embracing their [LGBT] brothers and sisters.”

Next, Solmonese rattled off the usual laundry list illustrating Obama’s commitment to LGBTs: Obama favors the Matthew Shepard Act, wants to see equality in the workplace, wants to repeal DADT, and thinks there “ought to be more funding for HIV.”

Then it was onto waxing poetic about what an “incredibly exciting … transformative moment [this is] in American politics.”

And then came the standard unity pitch: “It’s time for everyone … to show our power, and come forward and work toward a common goal.”

And then came the usual fearmongering: “The consequences could not be clearer.” Solmonese noted that John McCain opposes the Matthew Shepard Act (and opposed it when Senators Levin and Kennedy attached it to another bill to try to get it passed), opposes ENDA, thinks DADT “works just fine” — and, while he opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment, stating that marriage was “best left to the states,” McCain endorsed the constitutional marriage ban in his home state of Arizona.

Solmonese went back to the unity pitch for a moment (”[We have to] rally together to show ourselves to be the powerful community [we are]”), and then mentioned that the “young people” inspired to come to the polls to fight the California marriage amendment are the same young people who will vote for Obama.

Hildebrand came back to praise Solmonese for HRC’s endorsement of Obama, and then turned the call over to longtime civil rights activist (and longtime Clinton friend) David Mixner.

Mixner:

“I understand what many of you are going through. I was a strong John Edwards supporter… We [Edwards supporters] did find a home [in the Obama campaign]. I think you will find a warm home here. … Two things:

“[First:] Senator Obama has already opposed the California and Florida initiatives.

“[Second:] We’ve had moments in our history as a community where we have an opportunity to create great change. This is such a moment … with [the California and Florida anti-gay initiatives], to build a power base, to replace the Republicans…

“Probably for the first time since the ‘92 [Democratic] convention, we have the opportunity to make history as a community. We must gather and unite in our opposition to McCain … to create something special in this country.”

Next up, Tobias Wolff, civil rights lawyer and Chair of the Obama National LGBT Policy Committee:

To Hillary Clinton supporters, Wolff said he understands that there is an “issue of trust, and trust in the LGBT community” regarding Obama. “As a community, I think we have learned that we have to demand [leaders] earn our trust and earn our loyalty.

“Senator Clinton came into this race with a reputation in our community [of having earned that trust] through long years of advocacy, [while Obama’s] longstanding commitment to [the LGBT community] was less well known outside Illinois. Obama took the same approach with LGBT voters — he set out to earn their support, and earn their trust.”

Citing Obama’s “extraordinary work making LGBT equality and fighting homophobia a part of his message all over country,” Wolff opined that Obama’s appearance at Ebenezer Baptist Church was a “genuine expression to his commitment to our community, and recognition that he needs to earn our trust.”

Wolff said that in speaking with Obama “one on one, at length,” Obama “knows the issues, and he knows us, and he feels these issues in his bones. And the courage he has shown in giving our rights a prominent platform [shows that] this is a community that deserves to be courted.

“And the promise I want to make to all of you… We will continue to work to be worthy of your trust and of your support. We certainly don’t take it for granted.”

Hildebrand ended the call right at 30 minutes, with this:

“We will follow up with all of you and make sure you have contact information in the campaign. We want to invite you to get involved locally… We’ve got a lot of work to do…”

The call ended abruptly at 3:36pm.

Posted by: Sapphocrat

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