the video explains that he supports the extension of rights to gay couples, though not necessarily the word "marriage."

He was tap dancing a bit there, because he was in a fundie stronghold for that interview.

In the past, the RW has won the battle of semantics, and that sucks. The important thing to me is to grant that the rights that any hetero couple have should not be taken from GLBT couples.

issue that he in fact could help it happen. Failing that vital information about support on the issue, he didn't want to project un-realistic expectations that were not grounded in a significantly wide and deep enough base amongst Americans. Since then, he found out what he needed to know so he's going all of the way on the legal issues, which IS the most appropriate approach for government.

He wasn't defining marriage by a legal standard.

He changed how he framed the issue.

Nothing.

If you're taking the position that a political leader who says he opposes something doesn't really oppose it if he doesn't actively try to destroy it in court, I don't think that's a definition anyone is going to accept. Mitt Romney once was okay with gay marriage and abortion. Now he SAYS he's not. As far as I know, he's never opposed either of those things "legally." Does that mean that Mitt Romney still supports abortion rights and gay marriage?

I'll give you that Obama has spoken in ways that suggest his opposition to gay marriage was more about political expedience than deeply held beliefs, but that requires a level of reading between the lines that doesn't count when we're talking about policy issues.

Support passing a law to define marriage as man-woman.

because he said his Christian faith cause him to believe marriage was defined as man-woman.

And actually the GOP propaganda on Obama ignored his anti-gay-marriage position. His agreement with them on that issue was very inconvenient for them, so they ignored it. Same on other issues as well, like free trade and school reform. "Shhh, don't let the rubes know that Obama agrees with us!"

He didn't want marriage defined as man-woman.

now he is ok with it.

I don't see the point in talking about whether he flip-flopped, and I don't think many people are making an issue out of that.

Support for gay marriage is increasing dramatically in the country, millions of people have "flip-flopped". Who cares?

I don't support hammering any political leader for openly changing their mind to favor better policy over worse. Obama deserves credit for what he actually did, which was to quit going along with drawing the line at "marriage" as he once did. He wasn't right before, but he improved. That's good.

But we don't do ourselves any good rewriting history and pretending Obama has been solidly behind gay marriage when he at first, for whatever reason, was not.

He's running against Mitt Romney.

As time went on and I finally got it, I realized that they should get the term marriage just the same as a straight couple. Some may say I flip flopped, but I would say I just became enlightened to what was really important.

Legal marriage and raising kids has to be promoted by society as more than just a simple property contract.

Just like economic activity has to consider the common good too.

I'm not saying to restrict marriage for same sex couples.

for years after becoming president, and his administration got the response to the BP oil spill perfectly, never low-balling the real damage being done to the environment, and he vigorously campaigned for the public option in the health care reform, and never backed down to calls by the GOP to drop it, etc.

I understand the desire to myth make for people you admire, but it does seem a bit silly.

What has changed is his perception of what constituency there is out here to accomplish the protection of LGBT Civil Rights. He has moved from lower expectations about what was possible to higher expectations about what IS possible.

And because this is about government, I don't want him or anyone else with civil power to be addressing this as anything other than a LEGAL matter, i.e. Civil Rights for ALL Americans.

to favoring marriage equality, has most certainly "flipped".

The good thing is, he flipped in the right direction. Rather than being snarky, I'm happy to welcome him aboard on this issue.