Cynic? So you think Obama wanted to go on record as being against what North Carolinians had done? I guess he doesn't worry about carrying North Carolina in November, eh?

I think Biden's comment was off-message, but that it was a cynical decision in response to that off message comment.  The decision was made that they'd damage themselves more by distancing Obama from what Biden said than from backing him up.  The optics don't look right for Biden's comment to have been calculated, though, particularly since Obama took so long to come out with this statement, and his initial comments after the Biden statement still tried to straddle the line.  I think they trial ballooned a few different ways to walk back from what Biden said, realized that they weren't going to work, and finally said fuck it, we're committed, might as well roll with it.  All that said, I think it's obvious that Obama has supported gay marriage right from the start - the political calculation was always him saying that he didn't (and, of course, the timing of admitting that he supports it).

Allons-y!

He was being squeezed on donations by the Wall Street sodomites and the Hollywood homosexuals who molested Corey Haim.

More than anything, the man can read a poll.  Two years in a row with more support than oppose, that's evolution for you.

However, it's not about national aggregate trends, it's about the effects on November by state.  Here's an analysis of that.  I'm a bit mystified by the conclusion, as if the opposition movement uses this as a rallying point, it could swing Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina from their 2008 results.  That still has Bo winning with 277 electoral votes though.  Interestingly, there's a ballot amendment in Minnesota for 2012.  I doubt Minnesota would swing; Bo won by 10 in 2008, and opposition to gay marriage doesn't quite make that difference according to the available polls.  But, coupled with flagging support, it might make the state somewhat interesting in 2012.

the secret to happiness is to have you pay for my cocaine and mountain climbing-p0157

Perhaps that's why Fox News reconsidered their headline on this story. Especially since Obama's stance appears to be the same 'states rights' position that Cheney took years ago.

I remember a lot of people complaining that Cheney wouldn't have come to that conclusion if his own daughter hadn't been gay. Yeah, well, I never saw the point of individuals owning guns until I moved to Texas.

In a way, this speaks even better for Dick Cheney. He could simply stay mute on the matter, but certainly has enough money to support a nice lifestyle for his daughter, her partner, and his grandkids in whatever part of the world would be most legally-tolerant toward them... and still hop on a private jet and visit the grandkids whenever he wanted. He also has the resources to insure that his kids wouldn't see any disadvantages of living in a no-gay-marriage state; you really think Dick Fucking Cheney couldn't pull strings at an adoption agency or at a hospital to secure visitation rights for his daughter or her partner?

I seriously doubt that voter turnout will be diminished due to President Obama stating he openly supports same sex marriage. Quite the opposite will happen. This sort of leadership has been long overdue.

Below is a paragraph from the 5/9/2012 NYTimes editorial that sums up the Presidents statement as well as any I've read:

 "I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," with those 10 words, President Obama finally stopped temporizing and "evolving" his position on same-sex marriage and took the moral high ground on what may be the great civil rights struggle of our time. His words will not end the bitter fight over marriage rights, which we fear will continue for years to come. But they were of great symbolic value, and perhaps more. As Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted, no expansion of rights embraced by a president has failed to become the law of the land.

Where presidential politics are concerned, Romney now must convince us being gay is being a second class citizen. And he nust convince us how in the world same sex couples getting married detracts us from our existence? Another opportunity to conjure up his mystical 8 ball/etch-a-sketch/mommy jeans/severely conservative lunacy.

I expect to see commitment to the issue and steps towards concrete action

You're talking about Obama, so unless it's a tax cut for the rich or a handout to big business, don't hold your breath.

I got more styles than prison got bricks- ain't that some shit?

Wow, he is a real friend to the Gays.

And those Obama supporters... egads! By now, they must be experiencing almost as much cognitive dissonance as Romney supporters!

...but since no one was listening, we must begin again.