Van Jones, the former White House green jobs czar, said President Obama's support in the black community would not change if he came out in support of gay marriage, Monday in a panel on "Now with Alex Wagner."
Jones also joked that Obama would not lose that support if he came out as gay.
ALEX WAGNER: Let’s talk a little bit about the base, though. Van, when we talk about the president’s position on some of this stuff, I mean, does he lose, if you talk about black voters versus progressive voters, the idea of driving a wedge. Do you think he would lose some of the black vote if he did come out in support of gay marriage?
VAN JONES: I think if President Obama came out as gay, he wouldn’t. He’s not going to lose the black vote no matter what he does. I don’t understand this particular strategy. Certainly our numbers are a little bit more, because we’re more religious as a community, a little bit softer on some of the stuff. It’s not a hardcore issue for that many African-Americans. I don’t understand the argument that gay marriage is a threat to marriage. It’s not like there’s some—if the gay people get married, the heterosexual people have got to get divorced, there’s some shortage of marriage. It’s kind of nuts. I think you play to that sentiment but I don’t think it shows up at the ballot box at all.