Obama gay marriage stance could win younger voters, lose independents
Cal Jillson, political science professor at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, about Obama's campaign after personally endorsing gay marriage.
By Amie Parnes
President Obama’s unexpected announcement on Wednesday that he supports gay marriage ignited his political base but risks a backlash with independent voters in swing states.
Supporters on the left were particularly fired up by Obama’s shift, but political observers pointed to Tuesday night’s vote in North Carolina, where voters overwhelmingly opted to define marriage as legal only between one man and one woman, as proof the decision could come back to haunt the president.
“Last night’s vote in North Carolina was certainly a warning and a bit of a cautionary tale for the Obama campaign,” said Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University. “They’ve got to be taking notes.”...