The point I’m making is that in reality, marriage IS up to the states. In the U.S. states create, manage and officiate marriage laws. It’s been that way for 200 years and I don’t see that changing.

Whether other states recognize those marriage laws and whether the Federal government recognizes those state marriage laws is of course a federal issue.

And thats my point. THe president and congress can NOT force a state to change it’s marriage laws to include full equality. It’s not constitutional. The Supreme court could (by ruling the inequality unconstitutional), but the president nor the congress can.

WHat the president and congress CAN do is repeal all of DOMA thus allowing the federal government to recognize marriage equality passed in a state (Mass so far) and to open the possibility that other states will have to recognize Mass marriage laws. The president could also appoint Supreme Court justices that are likely to require that recognition across state lines (thus making marriage equality national by default), ala “Loving v. Virginia” that did that with interracial marriage laws.

ANd Obama has said he’d do all that, and that is all he or congress could do.

Also, Obama’s religion (UCC) recognizes marriage equality and I think the tone he’d set is pretty open to that. His voting record when it comes to gay rights is pretty solidly pro-gay.

I realize that I’m taking things into the extreme here, but for marriage equality to function properly at all, it *MUST* be recognized at the federal level, and not be left up to the states.

As far as the difference between what a candidate can do vs. what he/she advocates, I disagree with you on that as well. While for many issues, there is little an elected President can really do. However, it sets a tone about the state of the country and what the country stands for. Religion seem to be a very big issue in this election, but a President’s religious belief is not really a criteria for how well he/she can perform his/her duties. However, it sets the tone for the country (a bad one, I’d argue) as a predominantly Christian value.

On the other hand, I have another dimension of question as far as voting for who we want. Here in California, Mr. Terminator was voted in as Governor. During his candidacy, he was very supportive of marriage equality — and had stated he supported it. But then he did an about face after the election. Now, he consistently vetoed several bills passed by California legislators legalizing gay marriage. I know this is kind of off topic a bit, but nonetheless, I’d say, beware of newcomers with little voting records a lots of promises.

The _most_ a president can do in the arena of marriage equality is to support, encourage and sign a bill to repeal all of DOMA (Obama supports that). S/He can’t force states to allow gay marriage and our marriage equality. It _will_ have to be up to the states.

As much as I agree with Kucinich on the issues (I took the same test you did and he was the highest at 80%, Obama was 71% and Kucinich was closest with my views on gay rights), my calculation of who to vote for _needs_ to include if I believe the candidate will make a good president and leader. Otherwise, if my good friend who I agree with 99% of the time runs I should vote for him even though he’s a HORRIBLE manager and leader. I just don’t think, in my reading of the evidence, that Kucinich will make a great leader and president.

So, in my self-interest I need a candidate who will do the things s/he _can_ do as president in the area of marriage equality and step out of the way (repeal DOMA) and in the area of the military (DADT) and in the area of employment and housing (supporting a fully inclusive ENDA and signing it). In those areas, it seems Obama supports the same things I do. I don’t need him to come out and support full marriage equality, because even if he did, it wouldn’t change a lot considering what he could do. His position on issues he can do something about when it comes to my family are right on the nose.

That’s why I’m not support Kucinich and supporting Obama.