President Barack Obama said in an interview with ABC that "it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
With his Wednesday announcement, the president reversed his longstanding position on the issue. It came on the heels of his own vice president and education secretary saying they were in favor of gay marriage.
According to an ABC blog post, Obama further described his thought process as an "evolution" that progressed as he discussed the issue with staff members, gay and lesbian service members and his own family.
He said he thinks Americans are growing increasingly comfortable with the concept of gay marriage and cited his own daughters' views on the matter.
“It’s interesting, some of this is also generational,” he said. “You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents.
"And Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them, and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”
Read CNN's full coverage of President Barack Obama's stance on gay marriage
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Obama favors HUMAN RIGHTS VALUES over fairy-tale Jewish-God values.
The people in the center and the left will support this view point.
Now Mormon Bishop Mittens has to make his view clear without upsetting the God-delusional folks on the right. Good luck to Mittens on this one! LMAO
Thank goodnes! I am a North Carollnian and this change of position by the President eases what is otherwise a sad day in NC. I have an 8 year old daughter who cannot understand why anyone would want to make a law about who adults can marry. Our kids will lead us out of this ridiculous mess. There is some hope.
Yes, Breaking news. 6 months from re-election. And the class wars, and the race wars and the gender wars. What ELSE can he come up with in cobjunction with CNN to distract voters from the economy. I am in support of gay marriage, but I bet they'd like to have JOBBS too.
With Obama it depends on which way the wind is blowing ..
I'm happy to hear him say that, but I was really hoping he'd get a second term, I'm thinking he just pretty much lost the race with this.
i think the opposite.
I'm sure his advisers calculated that he would gain more votes than he would lose by making this statement. If the polls said Americans were in favor of purple zebras driving mopeds, he (or any politician, for that matter) would come out in favor of it.
One can only hope, but I fear that there are too many Americans that like riding Uncle Sugar's Gravy Train and will vote for your buddy.
I think this will be the winning ticket in November. I wont swear to it, but there are a lot of people out there that are taking this stance on allowing the marriages. He just got those votes.
It's about time.
Kemikal... old testament. So ... which one do you want to quote... new and old profess different laws....
the fall of the neo-roman empire has begun
And you know it.
are you one of these people that like to claim the roman empire failed because they accepted gays?
Obama just picked up every vote the GOP turned away by not supporting gay marriages.
like those votes count. Unless they are heavily concentrated in a swing state, it won't matter. In fact, it will actually cost him votes in those states.
The GOP never had those votes to begin with. So no change.
Woo Hoo! Good for you President Obama! Thank you for having an open mind, for having the courage to look at your previous beliefs, and for allowing them to evolve. You are an enlightened being. You already had my vote, but now I'm even happier to offer it. –This is not the same as flip-flopping, people.
Goodness you're getting me all warm inside.
Obama will do anything to gain support to win the election. Now he has gays and lesibians vote.
you think they were going to vote repub otherwise?
L.D – Atleast he is not an etch A sketch
It may cost Obama some votes, but it's great that he's finally taking a stand. I hope this will mark a turning point in the struggle for marriage equality. Damn, now I'm going to have to send his reelection campaign some money.
Gosh, it's so wonderful for you.
RIGHT ON!!!! 4 MORE Years!!!!!!!!
Surprise Surprise... The Prez is pandering to every group imaginable cause there's an election coming up...
This shouldn't even be a political talking point. Let consenting ADULTS marry whomever they want... Shouldn't be issue..
You started off okay. Oh well. The fact is we dictate to people all the time as to what they can and cannot do.