Barack Obama's Struggle Over Whether Marriage Had Become 'An Outdated Institution'

The Campaign Spot ^ | 07/14/2008 | Jim Geraghaty

[JRochelle]

A new detail about the courtship of Michelle Obama:

It took two years for Obama to finally propose. Though she knew he didn't fear commitment, Michelle had become a bit irritated with his struggle over whether marriage had become an outdated institution.

Wow. And with this offhand comment, a thousand new excuses are born. "Honey, it's not that I fear commitment. It's that I'm struggling over whether marriage has become an outdated institution."

I recall from that other Obama profile in the New Yorker, this one on Michelle:

Barack had a more bohemian attitude toward romance. “We would have this running debate throughout our relationship about whether marriage was necessary,” Obama told me. “It was sort of a bone of contention, because I was, like, ‘Look, buddy, I’m not one of these who’ll just hang out forever.’ You know, that’s just not who I am. He was, like”—she broke into a wishy-washy voice—“ ‘Marriage, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s really how you feel.’ And I was, like, ‘Yeah, right.’ ”

Richard Starr asks, "Wasn't it a little, um, outdated, to be doubting the institution of marriage in the early 1990s?"

Why do I get the feeling that many, many wives in this country will read the above paragraphs and nod in familiarity?

[JRochelle]

This liberal loon cannot become our President!

[maro]

Someone should ask him if he still thinks that marriage is an outdated institution.

[Natchez Hawk]

I think he would point to his wife and two kids as an answer. Really, folks you can do better than going down this road...

[keepitreal]

“Honey, it’s not that I fear commitment. It’s that I’m struggling over whether marriage has become an outdated institution.”

Deep Thoughts by Barack Obama.

[ikka]

"[The Weather Underground] initiated a 'smash monogamy' campaign to destroy bourgeois sexual hang-ups: Once monogamy was smashed, couples who in some cases had been together for years were harangued until they admitted their 'political errors' and split apart. "The next logical step was group sex. One of the last taboos was homosexuality, and the Weather command forced itself toward experimentation in this direction, instructing male and female cadres to 'make it' with members of the same sex."

One prominent leader of the Weather Underground: William (Bill) Ayers . (quote is from the book "destructive Generation" by David Horowitz and Peter Collier)

[seoul62]

Please identify species: Stollen or Fruitcake./Just Asking - seoul62......

[berdie]

His thoughts reflect a lot of “young men (and women) playing the scene (that phrase sure is dated, lol).

But it makes me wonder about his statements on his patriotism.

“I'm going to show my patriotism in another way.” (not verbatim)

[goldstategop]

Obama sees nothing wrong with same sex marriage and considers it homophobic bigotry to defend traditional marriage - which is why he's opposed to the effort in California to keep marriage as its always been understood, around for future generations. That says it all.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Dilbert San Diego]

Obama says he is for states to determine the best way to give equal rights to same sex couples, and suggests that could involve civil unions or what he calls “civil marriage”. He never says explicitly that he favors same-sex marriage, but clearly he does.

IF......IF he really believes that states should make their own determinations about these things, then WHY is he against the pending constitutional amendment in California to define marriage? That amendment would leave the existing domestic partner law in Calif. intact. The domestic partner law was California’s solution to how to give rights to same-sex couples.

He wants states to make decisions about marriage, but not if they want to ban same-sex marriage. yep he sure is pro-choice on this subject isn’t he? (sarcasm)

[Nathan Zachary]

"Barack had a more bohemian attitude toward romance. “We would have this running debate throughout our relationship about whether marriage was necessary,” Obama told me. “It was sort of a bone of contention, because I was, like, ‘Look, buddy, I’m not one of these who’ll just hang out forever.’ You know, that’s just not who I am. He was, like”—she broke into a wishy-washy voice—“ ‘Marriage, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s really how you feel.’ And I was, like, ‘Yeah, right.’ ”

Yet another slip of the Obama tongue that proves Obama is NOT a Christian.

Being Muslim minded, women are mere possessions, like farm animals. Marriages are merely legal agreements that are necessary in order to have sexual relations. A term marriage of a week or a month is a necessary procedure in order to have a fling, except once terminated and devorced, a woman must wait a month or more before she can be remarried, just in case she is pregnant.

[Scotswife]

I don’t think Michelle wants to be First Lady.
She seems to be sabotaging him lately.
Making him look bad.
She will get the bus treatment soon if she doesn’t knock it off.

[Unam Sanctam]

Unfortunately, given all the cohabiting couples I know, his attitude seems quite widespread nowadays.

[Wil H]

Marriage, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s really how you feel.’

Seems like that is consistent with his attitude to his country...

[tom h]

"I think he would point to his wife and two kids as an answer. Really, folks you can do better than going down this road..."

I disagree. This is equally revealing about Obama's mindset, just like his comment about bitter people turning to guns and religion.

I was a liberal once, for 5 years, and I know how they think. He is a lefty liberal to a "T." We talked about how outdated marriage in my college circles, also.

If we can prove that he is a lifelong liberal, during his youth, his days as a labor organizer in Chicago, his voting record in the Illinois legislature, and his 3 years in the Senate, then the nation will finally realize that he is not a uniter, has never united anything, but is just a leftist with a nice voice and gravitas.

It will also keep him on the defensive. It will also reveal the shallowness of this thinking, like Bill Clinton's when he speculated, during college, that being an antiwar protester would harm his "viability" for future office. Meaning, he had no compunction about not adhering to his stated principles.

Pile on, guys! Drag up all his old college papers, the speeches he made in Chicago and on the Illinois floor in Springfiled. Expose him layer by layer, inch by inch.

[Yaelle]

Free milk... Buying the cow... Can’t decide, can’t decide...

[Tex Pete]

This should come as no surprise.

His parents were obviously never married, so I wouldn’t expect him to value marriage.

[iowamark]

Michelle Obama is the kind of woman who would make any man fear marriage!

[AliVeritas]

Oh that’s nothing... behold the past spin (bitter included):

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2006/06/obama_on_faith_and_politics_an.html

[Sacajaweau]

But he’s for gay marriages....????