How it went down – If you haven’t seen Obama’s announcement supporting gay marriage yet, watch it here. Obama made his statement in an interview with Robin Roberts, the ABC co-host of "Good Morning America." Interestingly, it didn't come in a news conference, a policy address, or a campaign event, but with a non-political journalist from the second-rated morning talk show (full story via WashPo).
What’s next? Political benefits:
- No doubt, Obama’s announcement energizes LGBT voters and donors (1 in 6 ‘bundlers’ are LGBT)
- Fire up millennials. It’s clearly a winning issue in the 18-30 demographic, with 59% in support of legalizing gay marriage (The Hill)
- Take advantage of Romney’s weak image on social issues (he’s publicly against gay marriage, but he’s not known for his social conservatism)
Political costs:
- Embracing gay rights has never been a winner in the political arena (15 years of ballot measures in more than 30 states all over the country, including California, show it has been rejected nearly every time it’s gone before a popular vote — often by large margins)
- It will cause a backlash with some independent voters in key swing states (In 2008, Obama and an anti-gay marriage amendment shared the ballot – they both won, but the anti-gay marriage amendment got 600,000 more votes than Obama) (Politico)
With 180 days to go before the election, the White House, Senate and the House are up for grabs. Recent national polls show Obama leading Mitt Romney by fractions of a percent. The Dems are projected to narrowly hold onto the Senate and the House is up for grabs. (The Hill)
Top reactions – Obama Takes a Stand, Now It's Your Turn: Here's What You Can Do (Kevin Nadal) – President Obama's stance supporting same-sex marriage is a step in the right direction for LGBT rights, but now it's time for us to use our voices to combat injustice and discrimination.
Wait, What Exactly is Obama Doing About Gay Marriage? (John Giokaris) – Amidst all the white noise, exactly what did Obama say he is doing about gay marriage? The answer is ... nothing.
North Carolina Amendment 1 Shows Conservatives Still Love Big Government (Richard Lorenc) – Conservatives historically sought to protect institutions from radical change through government action. Today, however, they use the force of government actively to achieve their private aims.
Top stories – 6 Ways to Thank Your Teacher ... Without Giving Them an Apple (Sehreen Noor Ali) – Your teacher never really liked those apples you gave her. Here are six fun, socially-good ways to say 'thank you' during Teacher Appreciation Week.
3 Lessons From the Underwear Bomber Plot 2.0 (Andrew Pasternak) – While details are still vague about this operation, the importance of human assets and information sharing should be glaringly obvious to everyone.
What we’re reading – The art of haggling (HBS); Best public high schools (U.S. News & World Report); The future will be more religious and conservative than you think (The America); Timeline of Obama’s “evolution” on gay marriage (NYT).
Just for fun – An inside look at the surprisingly violent Quidditch World Cup (Outside Magazine).
