Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Flip Flopper....And I Don't Mean Mittsy

Remember when a young man out of Illinois, Barack Obama, first appeared on the scene, and everyone dubbed him the future of the Democratic Party? And he was, and is, that future?
Well, Maryland state house Delegate Sam Arora also seemed on the edge of glory--to quote Gaga--and the next great thing in the Democratic party. Arora attended Georgetown Law School, worked as a staff assistant to Senator Carl Levin, served on then-Senator, Hillary Clinton's presidential exploratory committee. Arora was also an aide at the Democratic National Committee. 
In 2010, as a delegate, Arora campaigned in Maryland for marriage equality, saying he would vote Yes, and even promising to co-sponsor the bill:
Sam Arora in January 2011
But then, in March 2011, something changed; Arora quietly withdrew his sponsorship.
And this past week Sam Arora voted 'No' on the marriage equality bill.
In the past year, Arora said nothing about why he withdrew his support of a bill he co-sponsored, a bill he'd promised to stand behind, other than deleting his pro-quality Tweets, and trying to hide his past support. But, probably under pressure, as people began to wonder about him, he released a statement; but it was really a non-statement because all he did was hint that his "vacillation"--a ten-dollar word meaning flip-flop--was due to constituency pressure. He said he would vote to let the people decide.
Many of Arora's supporters were shocked. 
Hilary Rosen, former executive director of the Human Rights Campaign:
"Knowing who you are, and being able to authentically share it with the public, is everything in a successful political career, Sam. You have lost your credibility before you even cast a vote. I think your career is over."
Karl Frisch, who once described himself as friend and supporter of Arora:

"In 2010, I had three friends running for state legislature--one in Vermont and two in Maryland. I don’t typically donate much money directly to candidates but I was excited at the prospect of seeing my progressive friends elected to their respective state legislatures, so I chipped in what I could. In the end, two of my three friends were victorious."
John Aravosis said:
"I hear his church got to him....Arora promised to vote for marriage equality during the campaign, and even sponsored the bill. Now he's claiming privately that he never intended to vote for it at all. That he's a born-again and believes in the sanctity of marriage, blah blah blah."
Of course, this is all speculation, because the one person who could explain it all, Sam Arora, isn't talking these days. With all the social media avenues and outlets used by politicos, Arora hasn't Tweeted or updated his Facebook page since the 13th of February. He has made no other statement, aside from the furiously futile attempt to delete angry messages from his Facebook wall. But what is most stunning, especially given the fact that Arora seems to have sealed his fate on a political future, is that he was personally lobbied by Governor Martin O'Malley, former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe, and even President Bill Clinton; and he agreed to work with them to pass marriage equality. Until last March when he decided to Just Say No.
Sam Arora's once shiny star is a shadow of it's former intended glory.


via Daily Kos

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update on this. I remember last year his flip flop and wondered what had happened with his vote. What a shame.

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  2. Frank7:05 PM

    In the end, he voted his conscience. I happen to agree with him. We men can have partnerships, civil unions, whatever, but marriage has always been for the two opposites to come together and raise children.

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  3. He still makes me swoon, but I have no choice but to take some of his pretty points from him!

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