Reflection On Obama And Gay Marriage

In my post below, I was wrong about Obama's level of commitment to gay marriage. Rick Klein reminds us:

The president stressed that this is a personal position, and that he still supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own. But he said he’s confident that more Americans will grow comfortable with gays and lesbians getting married, citing his own daughters’ comfort with the concept.

In other words, don't expect him to bother backing up his personal position with any political muscle. Not that a president could do much at a state level anyway, but this statement, as Jon Stewart put it, is "weak tea." And those who know me well know I detest weak tea.

I wish Obama would do one damned thing to justify my vote for him. But he probably won't do more than he already has. The only thing he has to offer liberals is this: he's not Rmoney.

UPDATE: here's an excerpt from the transcript of the interview by Robin Roberts:

...


PRESIDENT OBAMA: ...


At a certain point, I've just concluded that-- for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that-- I think same-sex couples should be able to get married. Now-- I have to tell you that part of my hesitation on this has also been I didn't want to nationalize the issue. There's a tendency when I weigh in to think suddenly it becomes political and it becomes polarized.


And what you're seeing is, I think, states working through this issue-- in fits and starts, all across the country. Different communities are arriving at different conclusions, at different times. And I think that's a healthy process and a healthy debate. And I continue to believe that this is an issue that is gonna be worked out at the local level, because historically, this has not been a federal issue, what's recognized as a marriage.


ROBIN ROBERTS: Well, Mr. President, it's-- it's not being worked out on the state level. We saw that Tuesday in North Carolina, the 30th state to announce its ban on gay marriage.


PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well-- well-- well, what I'm saying is is that different states are coming to different conclusions. But this debate is taking place-- at a local level. And I think the whole country is evolving and changing. And-- you know, one of the things that I'd like to see is-- that a conversation continue in a respectful way.


I think it's important to recognize that-- folks-- who-- feel very strongly that marriage should be defined narrowly as-- between a man and a woman-- many of them are not coming at it from a mean-spirited perspective. They're coming at it because they care about families. And-- they-- they have a different understanding, in terms of-- you know, what the word "marriage" should mean. And I-- a bunch of 'em are friends of mine-- you know, pastors and-- you know, people who-- I deeply respect.


ROBIN ROBERTS: Especially in the Black community.


PRESIDENT OBAMA: Absolutely.


...

So that's what it boils down to. To appease Black preachers, Obama is willing to sacrifice a human right, or at least willing to allow it to be sacrificed by others while the "conversation continue[s] in a respectful way." Oh well... add it to the list, along with "tyrant" and "killer"; just remember to vote for him because he's not Rmoney...