Obama making cultural waves, or just a ripple?
He gave no speech, issued no call to action. He spoke of changing alongside the nation’s people, not of leading them into uncharted territory. He made sure to say what so many so passionately believe - that states should decide such issues on their own.
A black president speaking out for a minority denied the right to marry is undoubtedly a powerful political moment. But a significant cultural milestone? A nation full of people at ease among openly gay co-workers, relatives and sitcom characters may already have passed Barack Obama by.
It is a truism, but it’s worth saying nonetheless: Politics lags behind culture, especially Hollywood’s version of it.
The president himself describes his change of position on gay marriage as several steps behind his 10- and 13-year-old daughters and the college students he frequently encounters - even young Republicans - who already see treating gays equally as no big deal.