06/29/2007
Dem Debate: Biden, Obama, Clinton Discuss HIV/AIDS
In last night's Democratic debate at Howard University, the issue of HIV/AIDS came up.
Via the NYT: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York drew loud applause when she denounced the White House for its response to the AIDS epidemic in black America, moments after Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico complimented Mr. Bush’s effort to finance a campaign to curb H.I.V. infection in Africa. 'You know, it is hard to disagree with anything that has been said, but let me just put this in perspective,' Mrs. Clinton said. 'If H.I.V./AIDS were the leading cause of death of white women between the ages of 25 and 34, there would be an outraged outcry in this country. If we don’t begin to take it seriously and address it the way we did back in the ‘90s, when it was primarily a gay men’s disease,' Mrs. Clinton said, 'we will never get the services and the public education that we need.'"
Clinton's answer was followed by the Biden/Obama exchange above.
Third Democratic Primary Pressidential Debate [transcript]
Posted 8:40 AM EST by Andy in AIDS/HIV, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, Joseph Biden, News | Permalink
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Yeah, uh, tee hee, Barack. Nice job playing up to the homophobia in the community. Jackass.
Was the reverend looking all squinty-eyed at Biden because he's just old or because he heard a white man talking about the black community again. Hrmmm. Sorta like straight people talking about the gay community again.
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jun 29, 2007 11:10:22 AM
Or perhaps he just meant that he's faithful to his wife, but at risk of projecting, that's certainly not what it sounded like to me. Did anyone else see the whole thing?
Posted by: FizziekruntNT | Jun 29, 2007 11:13:12 AM
How disappointed I was after watching the final part of this clip. Obama and Biden completely missed an opportunity to show leadership on the issue on HIV and AIDS and instead had to make sure the audience knew they were overtly heterosexual - as if that was even an issue.
Sen Biden responded to a quesiton about HIV in the African-American community and said he and Sen Obama had both tested for HIV. Obama quickly made sure that he clarified why he had a HIV test (goint to or was in Africa) and that he was with his wife. Heaven forbid if someone thought Obama was on the DL. Never mind that politicians get tested for HIV as part of public health campaigns all the time. Obama missed a great opportunity to speak to the African-American community about the importance of HIV testing. He could have easily explained that he was tested to lessen the stigma of getting tested. Instead, he chose to prove to the audience that his masculinity was not in question.
Not to be outdone, Biden then clarified that he had a test because he had blood transfusions in the past.
I missed the debate. I doubt that any of the candidates mentioned the cuts to HIV programs across the country and how the revamping of the Ryan White Care Act has eliminated or drastically reduced supportive services to communities of color here in our own country.
Posted by: Paul | Jun 29, 2007 11:14:27 AM
I was a little impressed with Hilary--that surprised me. The most dashing figure of the evening, of course, wasn't even in the debate: Governor Patrick! Shame no Democrat would ever want a vice presidential candidate from Massachusettes. I guess he'll just have to run for president in 2016...after Hilary's finished--or maybe President Gore.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 29, 2007 11:33:40 AM
I'm glad I'm not the only one to take umbrage at Obama and Biden's exchange. I was afraid I was being "the defensive gay who finds everything offensive," and I really don't want to be that. But after reading the transcript last night, I couldn't believe he said those words and thought, "what about Biden's comment made him feel the need to prove his manhood?"
After seeing the clip today, it really came across worse. It was a big joke. "Hah, Hah, Hah, I don't want anyone questioning my sexuality just 'cause I got an AIDS test. You all know I'm straight, right?"
I know he was speaking to an audience in which gay stereotypes has made many males fearful of testing, but his joke did much more harm than good. It reinforced the idea that an AIDS test=gay, and that a black man who gets tested must prove his straightness.
Obama lost every point he'd gained in my eyes last night.
(Ditto for Biden's comment, although he has done nothing yet to win me over, so while still disappointed, it wasn't as personal.)
Posted by: bjooks | Jun 29, 2007 11:54:51 AM
I think you all might be reading homophobia where there was none intended. Sen. Obama was making a joke of the fact that it sounded like he was being tested, because he might have been unfaithful to his wife. I watched the debate and was impressed when Obama drew a connection early on between the silence on and stigma of AIDS and homophobia in the African American Community. Far as I can tell, Obama is one of the better allies we have in the field.
Posted by: Thomas | Jun 29, 2007 11:57:39 AM
I agree with Thomas. Obama was the only candidate who mentioned homophobia being a cause in regards to the AIDS explosion in the black community. I saw it more as a question of fidelity to his wife (who after seeing many interviews i can tell wears her ovaries on the outside), not assuring people he is straight. Think about it this way, if Hillary had made the comment instead of Biden, there would be no confusion of the context of Barack's response.
Posted by: sean | Jun 29, 2007 12:38:53 PM
I really dislike it when politicians of any color try to get all "down home" or "southern preacher/church" just because they are in front of an african-american audience. Obama especially in this case, and Biden talks as if only black men are on the DL. Barak's painful response reminds me of Harold Ford Jr.: "Let me tell you once again how straight I am!!!" Pathetic.
Posted by: busytimmy | Jun 29, 2007 12:46:03 PM
To Paul andd Fizzie, the clip above wasnt Obama's actual answer to this question. He made the point that there was no dialogue within the African American community on the topic, and how there was a stigma concerning AIDS and specifically mentioned homophobia. This exchange with Biden occured after Obama's, Dodd's, Kucinich's, Gravel's, and Hillary's response.
Overall though Obama had a great performance last night. He seemed to be alot more comfortable than in the other debates, his debate style speaking has improved 110% since the first debate. He also made a great point regarding how out of touch the Bush administration had been to 9/11. "They assumed that everone would just hop into their SUVs, with sparkling water, drive away and check into a hotel."
I guess because of the fact that Obama is black he is allowed to play the "self-empowerment" card a bit more than other candidates. But he also talks about the fact that government isnt holding up its end of the bargain, which i completely agree with.
Edwards had a strong performance, but I still think he comes off phony talking about how poverty is the cause of his life. He's way too inviting of a target.
Hillary also did well. I agree with her 100% that if AIDS was the leading cause of death for white american woman 21-35, there would be a complete outcry. Its a shame that AIDS is the leading cause of death for black woman in this age group. The Bush Administration and GOP has completely ignored this issue (and democrats until recently) and its reflected in their poor domestic track record.
Richardson was off last night. He was trying to make a point about needle exchanges but didnt set up the context right. Although I agree with him on the olympics issue... Genocide trumps organized sport. If we cant convince China to put more pressure on Sudan, we should use a potential boycot as leverage.
Posted by: Sean | Jun 29, 2007 12:49:05 PM
*Out of touch to Hurricane Katrina, not 9/11.
My bad.
Posted by: Sean | Jun 29, 2007 12:50:39 PM
Paul,
"I missed the debate. I doubt that any of the candidates mentioned the cuts to HIV programs across the country and how the revamping of the Ryan White Care Act has eliminated or drastically reduced supportive services to communities of color here in our own country."
Edwards did.
I have to say I was surprised by the HIV question. Glad it was brought up but my experience, be it straight black folk or white gay folk, no one really wants to talk about how HIV/AIDS is impacting the black (gay) community.
http://www.nyblade.com/blog/index.cfm?start=6/3/07&end=6/9/07
Posted by: James | Jun 29, 2007 12:58:20 PM
I saw most of the debate and, after being very impressed that Obama earlier dared refer to homophobia in the Black community, I was shocked and sickened by the implications of this exchange. After watching it a second time via the clip, there is simply NO believable explanation for Obama's having an "Isaiah Grabs the Microphone" moment other than to emphasize he's not gay, or even further, in the context, that Biden's test had nothing to do with HIS test.
Biden deserved credit for responding to the childish laughter [before the exchange] of some in the audience when he mentioned his and Obama's testing by daring mentioning people being "engaged in denial." But like Obama, cancelled out his own positive score by effectively grabbing the microphone back to clarify his test was because of/after blood transfusions he'd had.
Biden stands no chance of getting the nom for Prez [probably not even VP] and, again, I'd campaign/vote for Obama if he does despite my earlier concerns about him ultimately being reinforced last night. But it was a sad, sad moment in which, in front of members of the community that has to be the FIRST to combat HIV/AIDS among themselves regardless of what government does or doesn't do—just as gays of all colors did—both men closed by contributing more to the problem than the solution.
Posted by: Leland | Jun 29, 2007 1:47:12 PM
I have been saying the whole way along that Barack Obama is no friend to the GLBT community. While his comments were certainly intended as a joke, they certainly leave you with the feeling that he does not understand, appreciate, or sympathize with our struggles.
Posted by: peterparker | Jun 29, 2007 1:55:18 PM
They all need to stop discrimination towards people that are suffering with HIV or AIDS. If you are not a US Citizen and would like to come to the US to visit as a tourist, you will not be allowed because of your HIV status. Sad American Rule ..that not too many people know about.
Posted by: Peter | Jun 29, 2007 2:20:07 PM
Yes, he addressed homophobia, but still... what you say in your semi-prepared remarks is important, but what you say in an off-the-cuff moment to make a joke (and protect your heterosexualty) might be more telling.
Posted by: bjooks | Jun 29, 2007 5:54:24 PM
Peterparker,
What he feels, or appreciates, matters little to me. What he does is more important. No one on that stage understands "our struggles," so it's much fairer to announce no one is really a friend of gays/lesbians.
Posted by: James | Jun 29, 2007 6:51:11 PM
Le Barack en rose? What's fair is to point out that only two candidates on that stage felt the need to defend their heterosexuality. Edwards didn't join the fray and yell, "And don't believe Ann Coulter—I'm not a faggot." Nor did Hillary jump in to say, "And she's wrong about me, too. I'm no lesbian, and for the record, my husband's not a closet queen either." Etc. Etc.
Obama did not, as he said, need to "make clear" [or should I say "unqueer"] anything. His response to Biden's reference to their HIV testing should have been at least silence and at best his saying, “Folks. Wait a minute. Why are you laughing? AIDS is NOT funny! As the deadly statistics in the original question showed, it doesn’t just happen to white ‘funny’ boys. If you take nothing else away tonight it should be our own responsibility in stopping our people from dying of AIDS exacerbated, as I mentioned earlier, by homophobia.”
Instead, despite that earlier noble, incisive, courageous moment, Obama showed his “true color” and it was neither Black nor white.
Posted by: Leland | Jun 29, 2007 8:06:22 PM
And here we have proof positive that Barack Obama is a homophobe. He completely just showed that he feels AIDS is still a gay disease. If only they had panned to Hillary at that point. I would have LOVED to see her face. People may criticize her and Bill for their stance on gay issues, but I'd take her over Obama, anyday. This, coupled with her "Meet my baby daddy" line just shows how ridiculous his campaign truly is.
Posted by: Kamasutra Jones | Jun 30, 2007 12:20:55 AM
could it be that obama merely wanted it known that he is involved in a long-term monogamous relationship and also not engaging in any illicit drug use? does anyone here really think that obama is anti-gay? if we don't stop expecting the democratic candidates to be perfect, we will lose to the repugs again in the general election. three repug candidates do not believe in evolution, and they are all trying to out theo-con each other. that scares me more than poor seamus was being strapped to the top of romney's car.
Posted by: nic | Jun 30, 2007 4:39:00 AM