Obama Finally Nuts Up And Comes Out In Support Of Gay Marriage

Obviously, this news is already out there to anyone with half an interest in current events. However, I just had to give my take.

My first reaction to this was that Obama may have just sunk his chances of a second term, but that he did the right thing by taking a stand on principle (something we rarely see in politicians these days - and something that reminds of someones' earlier slogan about change and stuff…). I was upset, even though I welcomed his manning up in the face of a potentially catastrophic statement, because I felt Biden truly fucked up by dropping his own statement this weekend. That last part may still be true.

But, I also think this is a brilliant stroke of political calculus that may, in fact, shut down Romney completely on the issue.

First of all, and this part is easy, Obama was about to get boxed into a corner on this issue, and that would have happened even if Biden hadn't said what he said. Obama had a record of being wishy-washy on this issue, and Romney has ZERO problem pandering to the hard core right on any issue, but especially about something such as this. In other words, this would have come up anyways, sooner or later, but WELL BEFORE next November's elections. What Obama did here was to dictate his position on his own terms without allowing Romney to define his position for him (something I am sure the Romney camp was absolutely salivating over). And he did so while taking a bold stand that was firm and clear. As we've seen countless times before, the worst thing a candidate can do is to appear to be weak, unsure, and waffling.

Obama now clearly wins on that point.

Second, while Obama now gets to frame his own message, he's also allowed to use it as a means to contrast with the other candidates position. It is now about how Obama believes in marriage equality for all (a clear point that might re-energize the youth vote), but that he has NO intentions of making ANY changes to achieve that goal, since he thinks it is inevitable and up to the states to decide. Romney, by contrast, IS ON RECORD stating that he supports a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

So, Obama will do nothing, and conservatively observe the status quo, while stating his own personal belief (which is to leave the issue to the states), while Romney wants to radically, and actively, introduce discrimination to the U.S. Constitution that STRIPS states of their rights to govern as they see fit.

Who's the radical here? Who's the one with the crazy ideas about big government stepping into the lives of private citizens? Who's the hypocrite who only likes the concept of states' rights when it is politically expedient?

We all know the answer to that.

Now, who's the candidate with balls big enough to publicly say he was wrong before, and that he fundamentally believes something different now? And who's also the one who can control this message with savvy and gentle persuasion, while still maintaining a distance from the dirty work of it become a reality?

We also all know the answer to that.

Political genius.

-P

P.S. MY check is finally in the mail. Godspeed Obama!