What Is Expedient

There’s a verse in the New Testament where Paul makes a statement about Christian liberty.  He says that while all things may be lawful for him, only some things are expedient—some things work toward the ends of building up the saints in Christ.

Sen. Obama is saying things on different topics because of their political expediency, not because they are what he actually believes.

In response to a question asked by an MTV viewer about Proposition 8¹ in California:

“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.” [Hat Tip: Althouse]

The problem with this answer is that it shows his bias.  At one point in time, there was a “right” to have slaves in the United States.  There was a Constitutional Amendment put in place to restrict these “rights”.

So he’s using more big words and concepts to mask what he truly believes.  Most politicians do this on divisive issues, especially with today’s big tent parties.  By answering the question this way, Sen. Obama doesn’t alienate his homosexual base, but obfuscates his view so as not to frustrate those that favor traditional marriage (so far the majority of the country).

Said slightly differently, if he came out against Proposition 8 and same-sex marriage, while the homosexual groups would go nuts (and they secretly believe this is what he believes), his poll numbers would drop as those that are opposed would have more of a reason not to vote for him.

It’s a tactic, because Sen. Obama believes that the homosexual group won’t go Republican.  Just as Sen. McCain believed that Evangelical Christians wouldn’t go Democrat, but when they let it be known that they might sit on their hands, Sen. McCain put Gov. Palin on the ticket.

Politicians do it all the time, and it should be another reminder that even the definition of the word “is” is never for sure.

1. That which would define marriage as between a man and a woman in the California Constitution [↩]