Obama Appoints NGLTF's Dave Noble as Director of LGBT Vote  | News | Advocate.com

Advocate.com health Channel
||  News  ||
 
June 12, 2008
Obama Appoints NGLTF's Dave Noble as Director of LGBT Vote
Obama Appoints NGLTF's Dave Noble as Director of LGBT Vote

The Barack Obama campaign announced Wednesday that David Noble, former executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats and current director of public policy and government affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, has been appointed as director of the LGBT vote for the campaign. Noble will be stepping down from his position at NGLTF and officially starting with the campaign on June 21.

As the campaign switches gears to the general election, deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said, “We have moved aggressively to set up our national LGBT vote operation and to staff it with the best people we can possibly get.” Hildebrand, who is gay, called Noble a “well-seasoned” political operative.

“He is experienced at many levels, he is a passionate advocate for the LGBT community across the country, and he will be an important voice for Barack Obama in this critical election,” Hildebrand said during a 20-minute conference call with reporters. “We know there is a tremendous difference between the positions held by John McCain as the Republican nominee and Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee, and Dave will be the voice and the organizer behind making sure that voters all across the country know the difference between the records and the positions of these two candidates for the presidency.”

Acknowledging that he had a lot of work do with just under five months between now and the general election, Noble said he was “thrilled” to join the Obama team and had “really been proud to watch [Obama] speak about LGBT issues on the stump, not just to LGBT audiences but to everyone as he’s been campaigning.”

Noble, who has a history of coalition building among gay activists, said the fact that the campaign reached out to him was just one sign of how serious they are about making sure that LGBT people not only have the information they need to make an informed decision come November but also have ways to get involved. “No matter how they are organized now at their grassroots level, they’re going to have access to the campaign,” said Noble.

Asked whether Noble would be focusing his LGBT outreach efforts more on red states or blue states, Hildebrand noted that just eight weeks ago the campaign had launched a 50-state voter registration drive.

“Dave will be helping design those programs to be specifically reaching out to gay voters and asking them to increase their participation in politics, whether that means getting them registered to vote or ensuring that they do vote in November, whether they’re voting for Barack Obama -- which would obviously be our hope -- or John McCain or one of the other third-party candidates,” said Hildebrand. “The bottom line is, within Barack’s heart he believes that our democracy will be stronger if more people participate in politics and voting.” (Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

Comments that do not concern specific articles in The Advocate or on Advocate.com will not be posted or published. See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • Through the Looking Glass
    American composer David Del Tredici won a Pulitzer Prize for his musical adaptation of the work of Lewis Carroll, and on December 4 he will premiere his latest and gayest masterpiece, My Favorite Penis Poems. The 70-year-old talks to Advocate.com about his relationships with Allen Ginsberg and Aaron Copland and how he transitioned from children's literature to S/M ballads.
  • She's Back, Bitches
    Britney Spears is a perennial favorite of the type that chases ambulances -- not for the potential lawsuits, but just to get a glimpse of the tragedy inside. On her new album, Circus, Spears begins -- finally -- to justify some of the idol worship that legions of gay fanboys have heaped upon her image.
  • U.S. Politics From a Distance
    As America continues to rejoice in election of Barack Obama -- while gay Californians lament the passing of Prop. 8 -- overseas, political activists look on from a distance. Zachery Scott has watched the drama following Election Day unfold as he serves in the Peace Corps in Mozambique.
  • Shoshana Bean Is Lookin' for a Superhero
    Not many girls can wow a Broadway crowd in shows like Wicked and Hairspray, then turn around and bring the audience to its feet at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. But Shoshana Bean goes far beyond what most people might expect, as evidenced by her soulful debut album, Superhero.
  • 30 Years Later, We Can Still Learn from Milk
    COMMENTARY: Thirty years after the death of Harvey Milk, Americans can still learn from his inspiring and profound work as an activist, politician and friend. With the story of his life opening in theatres this week, Lane Hudson takes a look back at how Milk's legacy lives on -- and what we can to do pay tribute to the legend.
  • Urban Cowboy
    How does a brand that is over a century old make itself cool again? With a little help from the gays. Levi Strauss & Co. sponsored the world premiere of Milk at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco in October, and The Advocate sat down with the out president of the denim company, Robert Hanson, that afternoon to find out what Levi's and Harvey Milk have in common.
  • L.A. Gay Center Responds to Prop. 8 Criticism
    In the December 16 edition of The Advocate, writer Ben Ehrenreich analyzed the differing opinions of why Prop. 8 passed at the polls in his article, "Anatomy of a Failed Campaign." Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center chief public affairs officer Jim Key responds to the criticisms raised by that article.
  • Billy Baldwin Pleads for Return of Dirty Sexy Money
    Actor William Baldwin is half of one of TV’s most groundbreaking couples -- his Dirty Sexy Money character is in love with a transsexual, played by Candis Cayne -- but it’s one plot that may not get to play itself out, as the show is in danger of cancellation. Baldwin sat down with Advocate.com to talk about rumors that ABC is "de-gaying" its lineup, what the future holds for Money, and whether network heads ever interfered with his controversial story line.
  • The Kid Stays in the Picture
    Lana Turner's lesbian daughter, Cheryl Crane, has penned her second memoir about her late, great movie star mother -- Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies. Crane sits down with The Advocate to relive that fateful night she killed her mother's mobster lover, share some untold stories, and give us a sneak peek at the new photographs of their life together.
  • The Soul of Seal
    Armed with a new album of soul classics and his trademark blunt outlook on the state of the world, Seal sat down with Advocate.com to discuss the rumors that he and wife Heidi Klum would have left the country had John McCain been elected, the gay rights movement, and what makes Seal's sound so damn sexy.
  • Finding the Silver Lining in Defeat
    Three weeks ago, like many LGBT Americans, I woke up with, to say the least, mixed feelings. The euphoria of Barack Obama’s election and the expansion of the pro-LGBT majority in Congress was tempered by sadness and anger at our devastating losses in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and, of course, California. The silver lining of these defeats has been a renewed focus nationwide on the issue of marriage equality.
  • Separation of Sundance and State
    In 2009, Sundance will celebrate 25 years of bringing together international cinema and a variety of cultures in Park City, Utah. But with California's gay community reeling from the passage of Prop. 8, activists and filmmakers are suggesting a boycott of the festival and theater chain Cinemark, whose CEO donated a substantial sum to the marriage ban's campaign. But just how realistic is a boycott of an entire state?
  • Democratic Supermajority No Guarantee for Gay Progress
    The 2008 election may already be one for the record books, but triumphant Democrats are still vying for an elusive political prize -- the 60-seat supermajority required to overcome Republican filibuster attempts and advance their legislative agenda swiftly beginning in January. But what are the odds of actually getting 60 seats -- and will it really push gay rights to the front of the line?
  • From the Great White Way to the White House
    While there won’t be a woman in the White House anytime in the near future, 24 took the reins and elected to cast two-time Tony Award winner Cherry Jones as its first female president, Allison Taylor, who is likely to have everything including terrorists, WMDs, and the kitchen sink thrown at her. Jones sat down with The Advocateto talk marriage, the White House, and her "fluid" relationship with partner Sarah Paulson.
  • Handicapping the LGBT Priorities of President-elect Obama
    As the Obama-Biden transition ensues, insights are surfacing into the new administration's agenda for gay Americans. While many of the policy pronouncements read like a list of old favorites, some lesser-known initiatives will likely gain momentum early on.
  • A Fortune 500 Take on Prop. 8
    The old saying goes that every cloud has a silver lining. And on November 5, the day after California voters stripped same-sex couples of the right to marry, so many around the country were searching for one. Although thousands of individuals, organizations, and businesses donated to the Yes on 8 campaign, not one Fortune 500 company is among those names. But on the opposite side, the side of fairness and basic rights, you’ll find some of the nation’s most successful and powerful corporate players.
  • Chevy Volt: The Jolt GM Needs?
    Launching a new vehicle while the American auto industry is asking Congress for a $25 billion bailout might seem like illogical timing, but for General Motors and the people behind Chevy Volt, it’s essential. With their backs against the wall, GM is rolling out their much-anticipated first plug-in electric vehicle -- and focusing their marketing efforts on the gay community.
  • Dr. Phil Weighs in on Prop. 8
    Advocate.com gets an early peek at a very heated episode of Dr. Phil. Gavin Newsom, HRC's Joe Solmonese, and L.A. attorney Gloria Allred face off against Prop. 8 supporters to talk same-sex marriage. In what may well be a first, Dr. Phil told the audience he would be keeping his opinions to himself.
  • An Unpopular Opinion: Blacks, Gays, and Prop. 8
    The injection of race into the analysis of Proposition 8's passage is extremely disappointing. A battle for equal rights has now turned into an issue of whites versus blacks. But while some black gays think marriage shouldn't be a priority and that outreach to African-Americans should have been stronger, journalist Clay Cane says he has a vested interest in inequalities related to both race and sexual orientation ... and he doesn't need someone to hold his hand to believe that marriage equality is important.
  • Politics and Progress With Patti LaBelle
    The last time girl-group Labelle dropped an album, the thought of a black president or same-sex marriage seemed as “far-out” as the band’s disco-spacewoman suits and fusion of disco, rock, and soul. But the button-pushing, soul-singing trio has reunited, and on the heels of Prop. 8 passing and Barack Obama being elected president, Patti LaBelle talks to The Advocate about the mix of emotions she's dealt with over the past few weeks.