"this is a major historical and cultural moment, and the President deserves kudos for it"

[babylonsister]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/05/09/reaction_to_obamas_evolution_on_gay_marriage.html

Reaction to Obama's "Evolution" on Gay Marriage


Howard Kurtz: "At the risk of resorting to hyperbole, this is a political earthquake that shakes the landscape by putting a divisive culture-war issue front and center. The betting had been that while Biden and others would signal support on a wink-wink basis, Obama would play it safe and take no position until after the election. This was no slip of the tongue; Obama intended to make news when his staff hastily arranged the interview."

Mark Halperin: "If Republicans try to make a big deal about this, the President's advisers believe it will distract from the economy fight and hurt the GOP with younger voters. As David Axelrod made clear the other day, the Obamans will fight back on this issue as needed. Romney now has more questions to answer than the President does on these matters, such as about same-sex benefits. There will be micro-targeting to culturally conservative voters in swing states to be sure, but don't expect this decision to become a major campaign issue."

David Brody: "Obama has given his liberal base a solid 6 month-energy drink that should last them through the General Election. The question for Romney is what can he say or do with the evangelical/Tea Party base to fire them up for the General? It's an open question. One thing's for sure, Obama's support of same-sex marriage just made the electoral map a little dicier."

Harry Enten: "The truth is that when you look at the numbers, there just really isn't anything to suggest that support for gay marriage would be a "killer" electoral liability for Obama. In general, Americans simply don't vote on it as a single issue, and the edges of Obama's coalition are unlikely to be trimmed because he voices support for it."

Greg Sargent: "Whatever the actual impact of this in legislative terms, this is a major historical and cultural moment, and the President deserves kudos for it. Yes, he had to be pushed into taking this step, and those who hammered him ceaselessly on the issue deserve enormous credit for making this happen. But Obama himself has, in various ways, let it be known that he wants people to go out there and make him do the right thing. In this case, he responded."

[Arkana]

1. I'm inclined to believe Halperin, strange as it may sound.

Obama can't get blindsided with the question at a debate now and Romney has to choose--move to the center or fully embrace the crazies?

[Carla in Sequim]

2. Good point...

Romney can't creep to the center now!

There are still a few more issues our president needs to put on the table, like the Dream Act. By debate time, all will be clear.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. That's the point I was trying to make earlier. Mitt Romney can't even support anti-discrimination

legislation because his base doesn't want ANY "benefits" or "rights" for the LGBT community.

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. K&R

[Cosmocat]

5. NO ONE who votes strongly against LGBT issues

was every going to vote for him to begin with.

All is does is perhaps juice up the right wing a tick more. But, they have it in the minds that he is the spawn of satan already, so it is hard to be able to amp that up anymore.

I wish people would just call this and 90% of what they republicans run on for what it is - demogouging people for political reasons.