Our President just endorsed same-sex marriage!

[jenmito]

It happened in an ABC interview. BOOM goes the dynamite!

http://gma.yahoo.com/obama-announces-his-support-for-same-sex-marriage.html

[tallahasseedem]

1. This just makes November that much more important...

Get out the vote!!!

[jenmito]

2. This will also energize the RW base...

AND OUR base!

[aquart]

3. I apologize. I didn't think he would. OMG.

[jenmito]

4. I wasn't sure he would, either, but they just showed a clip of him saying...

When he thinks about the troops who serve under him, and the fact that he ended DADT, he felt it wasn't right to allow them to DIE for him yet not allow people to marry one another.

[aquart]

12. TRUE, but who thought one of our leaders would notice or care.

I had a dear friend who didn't live to see this but inside I hear him cheering.

[jenmito]

13. I thought Obama cared...

but I also thought he worried that too many people were against it and it would hurt his re-election. But for him to do this a day after a swing-state outlawed gay marriage and even civil unions, makes me proud.

Sorry about your friend. I'm sure he IS cheering.

[think]

5. Good for Obama.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Good for America!

[jenmito]

7. Exactly! It's VERY good for America...

and especially brave of him to do this right after NC passed that anti-LGBT amendment.

[think]

9. Yes :)

Still shocked and a bit speechless. Just very glad the president made this decision.

[Zadoc]

8. POLL: Will it help or hurt him in Nov?

Well, Obama has made history a number of times, now as the first sitting president to endorse same-sex marriage. But what will the political impact be?

POLL: Will his endorsement of same-sex marriage help or hurt Obama in November?
Vote: http://www.wepolls.com/p/9637685

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. Evolution complete!

Given his refusal to continue defending DOMA and his comments about NC's passage of the amendment, it's hard to imagine him having said anything else. Probably a good idea to go ahead and get it out now too while the election season is still relatively early.

GOBAMA!

[bigwillq]

11. It's certainly good news that Obama has publicly changed his mind

on this issue.

[musicblind]

14. As a gay man from NC, this really means a lot to me.

Obama is a hero, and I thank him for taking this risk BEFORE the election.

I think this proves how upset he was over the passing of Amendment One in a swing state that he really hopes to win.

He put a lot on the line... the entire state's electoral votes on the line... to do the right thing.

Thank you president Obama. I am so proud to have voted for you in 2008, and I can't wait to vote for you again in 2012.

[jenmito]

15. I'm glad...

that Obama did this, too, but I'm REALLY glad that YOU'RE so happy about it. And I don't even know you. But I'm happy for you and I'm glad Obama did this at such an important time. It may hurt him in places like NC, and I'm sure he knows it, but he still did it. He made history today.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. And still the "Obama is a bigot" thread is allowed to remain open.

[davidpdx]

17. I'm glad he did this

But I think he should have done it six months ago before the election cycle got into full swing. Two things that this may (I'm not saying they will, it remains to be seen what will happen) occur is:

1) He opens himself up to charges of the announcement being an election year gimmick. Personally I don't think it is, I think he is sincere. However independent votes will be more important this time around in order to get him reelected.

2) One of the big issues Obama has been hitting Romney on is flip-flopping which is very true. To Obama's defense he has always said his position on gay marriage is evolving which indicated eventually he'd come around and support it (we all knew that, well maybe not all there were a lot of people on here who doubt it). The question is will Romney try to turn it around and use the flip flop issue on Obama?

Again, I'm saying these things will happen, but could. I think over the next few weeks we'll see what the reaction is (and yes I am looking at this from primarily a political standpoint since this is an election year). My guess would be by the beginning of June the polls will have absorbed any change up or down and that will tell us what the effect was.