Why did Obama wait until AFTER the NC vote to "evolve?"

[derby378]

Look, it's nice that he finally said it, yeah yeah, but consider the awkward timing. It's like saying that you were rooting for the Mavericks, but only after they got smushed into the court by OKC on Saturday.

[monmouth]

1. NC would have voted the way they did anyway IMO...This is like a slap in their faces...n/t

[corkhead]

4. Right on. Timing is everything. He slapped them instead of them slapping him.

[Chorophyll]

20. Agreed.

His timing makes the people who voted for the NC amendment look really small and mean. Just right.

[Whisp]

24. that's how I see it.

but some see it as yeah yeah whatever.

[Lawlbringer]

2. I know of people on the right who support gay marriage

however, they hate Obama.

The simpletons would probably have voted against it just to spite him.

Maybe that's part of it? I don't know. You raise a good point, though.

[derby378]

5. We've got some good Democrats down in Texas...

...who have nevertheless been very reluctant to back same-sex marriages because (a) our state Constitution now prohibits them, and (b) they were worried the mean ole Tea Party would bash them over the head with the issue on Election Day.

I hope that Obama's announcement, late as it is, lights a fire under more than a few Democrats in Texas and across the nation.

[Thrill]

3. What difference does it make?

I live in NC. That Amendment wasn't going to be defeated.

If he did it before, the vote. And it wasn't defeated, we all know what the media narrative would be.

[derby378]

7. That Obama was right?

I don't give a damn what FOX News pundits may hint about the next law. I know for a fact some of the FOX staff behind the scenes are gay, too.

[leeroysphitz]

11. That's a really good point. n/t

[patrice]

6. In order to find out where pressure is necessary and where it isn't. & To arrive at

a more informed guess about what the strength of x is, so that you can make a decision about how and what resources to use in a manner that has the best chance of success.

[derby378]

9. Sounds like a little Sun Tzu, and I respect that

Another of Sun Tzu's teachings, however, comes into play. The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, next best to attack its alliances, next best to attack its army, and the worst option is to lay siege to the enemy's city.

I have a feeling that Obama spoke up just in time for us to go into siege mode. True, Sun Tzu did give some practical advice if you really have to lay siege, but it's gonna be nasty one way or the other.

[Raven]

8. I think the timing was perfect. n/t

[Solomon]

14. I do too.

Thought I was the only one. Had he done it before, the media would have spun it so bad it would have set the same-sex community back a couple of decades.

[Nye Bevan]

10. There is plenty of snark potential for why it took so long

for President Obama's position on marriage equality to become as progressive as Dick Cheney's.

But I'm just going to say better late than never, and welcome aboard, Mr. President.

[Pisces]

12. And why do some posters wait for Obama to do something good in order to shit on it??

[derby378]

16. The Democratic Party needs more curmudgeons

If a few more of them offered a little criticism before November 2010, we might not have such a bad Tea Party problem today. Speak up, speak up, for America's sake, speak up.

[Bruce Wayne]

13. First, Prez's can't do much about marriage issues. 2nd...

...it makes for a starker contrast with the oppression that Republicans are dumping onto the civil rights of gay Americans. Instead of the story being "President Obama got defeated trying to tell North Carolinians how to run their own state" the story can be "President Obama took a principled stand when things were looking bleak for the White Hats."

I'm not sure I could respect a politician who couldn't play the game this well.

[orwell]

19. +100...n/t

[rufus dog]

15. It would have been spun as a referendum on Obama

Like standing up to take a bullet in a lost battle, the only thing it would have accomplished would be to injure the cause and the candidate.

[YoungDemCA]

17. This country is headed for a national dialogue on this issue...

..and it's long overdue.

[Bolo Boffin]

18. My take: after NC vote against marriage equality and WV vote for him

We both needed the good vibrations.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. Obama doesn't wait for thiings

[11 Bravo]

22. Because he obviously hates gay people, and only wants to make their lives miserable.

And NO, a fucking "sarcasm" smilie should NOT be necessary!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. Actually, it's not in his best political interests to "come out" for marriage equality.

Think about it: It could cost him NC in 2012.

You can't accuse the president of political expediency on this one. He's taking a MAJOR political risk and could lose. Give the president some props. He did the right thing, and it was courageous, regardless of the timing and manner. The bottom line is that he did it and we should be celebrating, not moving the goal posts.

[DevonRex]

25. So, North Carolina said, "We don't like gay marriage."

And Obama said, "Oh yeah? Well, I do."

[marions ghost]

26. It was perfect timing

perfect

[KT2000]

27. I would love to have such a complaint

I care a lot that we have equality for all.
I have a passion though for an equality issue that gets no consideration at all, and that is the growing amounts of untested toxic chemicals - especially neurotoxins that are contaminating our air and water. The damage these things are doing to developing brains and the health of children is a disgrace. Rates of childhood brain damage in the form of birth defects, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, brain cancer and more are the future of this country.
All those children in special-ed have been robbed by a society that does not give a crap that someone's life is messed up so they can have a perfect lawn, polluting factory or cheap waste disposal.
Add those problems of the younger generation to those of the older generation - Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia, MS and growing auto-immune disorders and you have a society that is in a big mess.

Other than Senators Bernie Sanders and Frank Lautenberg, there are no other politicians willing to stand up to the huge corporations on this. In fact most are trying to figure out how to cut these people from healthcare coverage and social programs.

Progress has been made in equality today. That is a huge thing. I wish we could all be gracious about it. There are so many things that need such progress.

[demtenjeep]

28. Maybe he just had enough

!