Again you’re wrong. ;-) Just kidding.

But as I think about it more after writing what I did above last night and reading your comment this morning, I actually don’t think I can say that Obama has “pushed” the GOP anywhere on this issue.

But what I do think has happened is that he has abandoned what used to be the coveted “middle ground” that Dems traditionally tried to stake out on a contentious issue like this. Obama’s position used to be, roughly paraphrased, that gay marriage is kinda icky, I don’t want to think about it, but if you keep asking me, I might mumble something about opposing constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage.

And If the candidate is John Kerry, he’ll add, oh by the way, I gotta be somewhere else when the FMA comes up for a vote in the Senate.

With Dems holding this so-called “middle ground,” there was no way an ambitious Republican pol can hold a position that would be in any way to the left of that position.

But now Obama has staked out what used to be the “radical” position of fully endorsing marriage equality, leaving the so-called “middle ground” vacant. I think what is more likely happening is that it has opened up space for some Republicans to voice a more supportive or apparently-supportive position and still be well to the right of Obama. In other words, I don’t think Obama has “pushed” anyone, but because nature abhors a vacuum, they’ve allowed themselves to be “pulled” more towards where Obama used to be.

But of course it’s not just all about air pressure. I do think also that they are seing the polls and reading the election results and seeing that same-sex marriage is about to become a wedge issue in the opposite direction. Whether it truly is right now or not is still open to debate, but I do see that growing numbers are beginning to act as though it were.

Just my Monday morning musings.