Surrogates for GOP, Dem. campaigns rally Ga. voters

By MATT SCHAFER
OCT. 17, 2008


As polls show a tightening presidential race in Georgia, high-ranking openly gay supporters of candidates Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made their way to Atlanta last week to shore up support and get a look at conditions on the ground.

Patrick Sammon, chair of the national Log Cabin Republicans, and Tobias Wolff, chair of Obama’s LGBT Policy Committee, both made visits to Atlanta to speak with the party faithful about the Nov. 4 election.

Wolff’s visit was higher profile, incorporating public stumps at an “Out for Obama” event at Bazzaar and the Human Rights Campaign’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” fundraiser. Sammon’s visit was more informal, but he met with several Log Cabin Republicans at Einstein’s on his swing through Atlanta.

Both men said their presidential candidate is the most open on gay issues ever nominated by their party.

McCain “is not perfect on our issues, but certainly has an inclusive record,” Sammon said. “He’s promised he would be a president for everyone.”

Wolff, no relation to the author of the same name, said he originally tried to keep a count of how many times Obama mentioned gay rights in public.

“I have tried to keep track of the number of states and number of times he has mentioned gay issues in his stump speeches, and I’ve long since given up on trying to keep a tally,” Wolff said. “That’s very important. I don’t think presidential politics will ever step back from that.”

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