The panel on Chris Matthews' show this morning did a good job on this issue. As Matthews and Andrew Sullivan both pointed out, politically there is no middle ground on this issue. Politicians who come out in favor of both a ban on gay marriage and provisions allowing for civil unions for gay couples alienate both sides of the debate. This is one issue where you need to pick one or the other: you're either for equality for gays or you're not. Trying to chart a middle course means angering both sides.
If I were a politician, I'd also see the growing support for gay marriage in various cities and states around the country (including some that are far more conservative than San Francisco and Massachusetts!) - and the apparent lack of a backlash in mainstream America - as a signal that this train may be leaving the station.
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