Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Obama Given Low Marks In Annual ACLU Report For Civil Liberties — Ranked Lower Than Paul

While this is unlikely to surprise many civil libertarians, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has issued its annual report card called “Liberty Watch 2012” and gave President Obama a failing report (earning the full four “torches” only on the issue of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy). The Republican candidates were equally dismal but it is rare for the Democratic candidate to be on par or lower than his GOP counterparts on civil liberties. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson secured the top civil liberties spot while Republican Ron Paul came in second ahead of Obama.

The only category on which Obama did particularly well was on his support in ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” even though he remains undecided on the issue of same sex marriage. He lost points for breaking promises on Guantanamo Bay, surveillance of citizens, failing to hold employees accountable for torture and other issues — many of which we have discussed on this blog.

Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann all received zero torches in all seven categories. Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry did slightly better due to their opposition to wholesale deportations. Paul’s score was reduced for his call to end “birthright citizenship” for children of illegal immigrants and his support for a denial of federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples as well as his opposition to abortion. Obama came in third after Johnson and Paul. After Paul in the Republican ranks, Jon Huntsman did the best.

The low standing of Obama is particularly difficult for civil libertarians since he is the only candidate offered to Democrats this year. As I have previously written, Obama in my view has proven devastating for the civil liberties movement in the United States. His candidacy remains a triumph of personality over principles — decoupling the Democratic party from long-held values on civil liberties.

Here is the full report: ALWCandidateReportCard-1

Source: SF Gate

46 thoughts on “Obama Given Low Marks In Annual ACLU Report For Civil Liberties — Ranked Lower Than Paul”

  1. lottakatz:

    “blocking the plan to provide the morning after pill as an otc med for women under 16.”

    why is that a bad idea? It is my understanding that RU486 can cause sever bleeding. Most K-12 schools in this country wont allow a student to carry Tylenol on campus.

  2. Blouise (hi there lady!) and OS, you folks are optimists, or have more energy than I, I’m not sure which. 🙂

    Atokaite Tn, The President no doubt has lost points for his administration’s failure to pursue the repeal of DOMA and blocking the plan to provide the morning after pill as an otc med for women under 16. That’s what comes to mind most quickly.

  4. The new civil rights battles of the 21st century will be about government intrusion. No executive will willingly give up these powers now. We have to take them away.

  5. I had a clue, but I left it somewhere. It is probably with my car keys. I can’t find them either.

  7. I am going to do a favor for a number of you Jonathan Turley fans.

    I am going out Mr. Turley as a left leaning libertarian.

    Haven’t you statists and Party loyalist progressives and liberals gotten that by now?
    Mr. Turley hates Obama’s policies and intentions. Mr. Turley has shown that no matter how Democratic or Progressive Obama claims to be, he is as bad or worse than all the Republican suits that have come to power.
    Mr. Turley is a constitutionalist from the original school, one that believes in freedom from oppression from one’s own government.
    Mr. Turley mostly agrees with most of Ron Pauls policy intentions, sans probably Pauls position on immigration and reproductive rights.
    But then those are standard libertarians’ complaints about Paul anyway.

    I see a lot of progressives and liberals on this site (estimate 60%), and they think Mr. Turley agrees with them. He does not. At least not to the point of Party loyalty vs actual civil liberties.

    I see some libertarians (estimate 15%) and rightists (estimate 25%).

    I invite Mr. Turley, who I HIGHLY admire in having kept to these principles, to correct me if I am wrong.
    Or to say nothing for the sake of politeness and civility, and possibly political reputation.

    Thought this was important as a public service, to those who don’t have a clue.

  9. I fail to see why wholesale deportations of illegals is a civil liberties issue, unless the ACLU is against enforcing or even having laws against illegal immigration and wants open borders for drugs and people. That is why I am no longer an ACLU member since it is an undemocratic organization in which members have no say in policy. As for gay marriage, I also see no civil liberties issue there since the states are free to determine within general rulings of the SCOTUS to make those for themselves.

    The Democratic Party has not been a bastion of civil liberties since I remember Wilson, who initiated the Palmer raids and elevated Hoover to secret police czar. Then I also recall the FACT that most of the so called southern liberals back in my day voted against civil rights laws. Humphrey wanted to jail communists, etc.. Gay marriage was NOT part of any Democratic Party platform in any of the last elections. The only thing Obama has failed on is to close Gitmo. He voiced his opposition to the proposed jailing of terrorists with no trial, and in fact inserted language to affirm our rights, which is contradictory in the law.So that means the courts will still have to make rulinjgs on such jailings, as they do already.

  12. It is difficult to understand exactly why the ACLU ranks O so low.
    He has consistently followed the Leftist agendas, to the best of his Executive limits and ability. Albeit his success has been in only 1 area, the Health Care debacle.
    ACLU generally stands far to the Left on most issues. Thier rankings, inandof themselves are biased.
    Semper Fi

  13. Eich mochter ein candidate mitt ein soul. And it isnt some schmuck with the name of Mitt.

  15. and yet Johnson will never get elected President. If he did his only real accomplishment would be to unite both parties in Congress to prevent him from doing anything. One party has done a great job of that by itself for 3 years, together they could stop the world.

    This report is further sign that there are no Democrats any longer. Obama is to the right of Regan on many issues & would have been happily at home in the Republican Party any time before Boy Blunder (well except for the color thing, I remember news of black delegates being beaten by white ones at the 68 Republican convention). As the Republican Party has gone further off the rails the Dems have followed to the right till the choice is between bad and worse.

  16. Gary Johnson has committed to pardon nonviolent marijuana users now in jails. While a start, the pardons should be broader than that and the drug laws must come off the books. Drug use should be dealt with as a heath matter, not by the criminal justice system.

    On immigration, Johnson favors granting illegals now here a 2 year work visa during which time they could position to long-term work approvals.

    On abortion, Johnson is pro-choice.

    Johnson favors federal government recognition of gay marriage.

    If Ron Paul leaves the race, Johnson will pick up many of his supporters, but Johnson would also attract a broader set of civil libertarians than Paul IMO.

  17. In evaluating a candidate like Ron Paul, the distinction you have explained elsewhere between civil liberties and civil rights is critical. Paul opposes most civil rights legislation as an infringement on private property. He was the sole vote in the House in 2004 opposing the (symbolic) reaffirmation of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (H.Res. 676).

    In short, it’s complicated and I’m not sure the ACLU’s scorecard catches the subtleties very well, but may be useful in provoking discussion.

    I remain a proud, “card carrying” member of the ACLU (smile) despite the problems with this effort.

  19. Unfortunately a chart like that isn’t particularly helpful in deciding the best candidate even when you factor out the Republican field. Two Libertarians and the incumbent, what a choice.

    Gary Johnson = Obama’s campaign platform from ’08 + Ron Paul’s fiscal program. Man, it’s embarrassing to be American going into this election cycle. I read about these guys and gals and know the rest of the West is laughing at us. It makes me cringe.

  20. I stopped drinking from my Obama coffee mug about a year ago. I’d like to blame Rahm Emmanuel for the feckless dishonest tone of the administration but he’s not there any more.

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