Thank the Influence of Money in Politics for President Obama?s Gay Marriage ?Evolution?

To much fanfare yesterday,
Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to endorse the
idea of gay marriage. While the President described his view as
?evolving,?
it?s actually a view he?s held before. ?I favor legalizing same-sex
marriage,? Barack Obama said in 1996, long before his daughters
brought him back to that position.
Reactions ranged from Rush Limbaugh?s can?t-believe-he?s-serious
?War on Marriage?
accusation, to George Takei praising the President?s
historic decision to Glenn Greenwald
pointing out that the movement that pressured the President
ought to be credited for the new turn.
No matter how you interpret the President?s decision to
articulate his support for same-sex marriage, in the same
manner, in fact, as former Vice President Dick Cheney did while
he was in office, one thing?s for sure: it?s been a money winner
for the Obama campaign, which
apparently raised $1 million in the 90 minutes after his
support for same-sex marriage became public alone. Just an hour
ago, in fact, I got another text from the Obama campaign: ?If
you?re proud of our president, get his back by pitching in today,?
along with a handy link to
donate!
The influence money had on the President?s decision to again
endorse same-sex marriage is
undeniable. One out of six bundlers for the Obama campaign are
gay, for example, and the campaign has been lagging in donations
from its entertainment business donors (amplified by the
President?s rejection of SOPA despite Chris Dodd?s
threats no doubt).
The President may lament the influence of money in politics
publicly, and his base even agrees, but without the financial
pressure exerted on the Obama campaign by gay donors and backers,
it?s unlikely the President?s view on same-sex marriage would
?evolve? back to what it was before Obama became a mainstream
candidate. Now if one in six Obama bundlers were
Muslims or victims of the drug war, maybe
we?d see some evolution in Barack Obama?s views on the never-ending
war on terror or war on drugs too.
UPDATE: The President
raised $15 million for his campaign at a Hollywood
fundraiser headlined by George Clooney tonight. He hit upon the
theme of gay rights repeatedly there and elsewhere on his West
Coast campaign tour.

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