*My first diary, be kind.*
I have been watching this and I think Obama has played a cagey political game with the topic. When he began his career he came out very left leaning: probably atheist (from his book), pro-gay marriage, pro-single payor for health care, as a few examples.
As he became a "professional" politician, he honed his positions for the national audience. As an observer and supporter, I accepted that this was necessary - he might have concealed his true motives so that he could get elected and then try to carry them out. Where I agreed with him, I accepted this with a wink and a nod.
At the same time, he "promised" broad liberal changes that he just couldn't achieve - Gitmo. Others he found weren't as simple as he had supposed - managing preexisting wars. Still other items he might have managed better with different advisors - the economy. He's grown and his positions have too. Frankly, he never promised to govern as a liberal - he promised to govern as a pragmatist. I think he's kept that promise.
His hesitation on Marriage Equality was clearly calculated and political. He's transmitted his support for Gay rights with the wink and nod, but also with policy, which he outlines in his most recent statement: repealing DODT, and not defending the DOM act. The "evolving" statement was considered weak, but also transparent. GLBT supporters have T-shirts that say, "Evolve Already!" The subtext: stop with the wink and nod, and say something.
I heard a report today on NPR (yes, NPR!) where the apparent timeline was for President Obama to make this statement soon, but they wanted to avoid it becoming a debate about the Democratic Platform at the Convention. Yes, a political decision.
Biden made his statement ahead of schedule, and Obama just followed with his planned announcement that he was done "evolving." No more winking from the guy who passed legislation giving Gays various rights in the military, just a statement of his personal beliefs. The president's summation, "All's well that ends well," regarding the Biden "gaffe."
It's still the States right to define marriage. The president just announced he realized he supports it. It's not a part of the Democratic Platform for the coming election.
So for all the GLBT supporters who follow politics, it's like, finally. But really, that's it. We already knew.
Didn't we?