Molly Ball notes that neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney have taken the safest position on gay marriage.
There is a hypothetical middle ground on gay unions, a politically safe position that would be likely to offend the least amount of voters. It is, in fact, the position Obama held until recently -- support for civil unions, stopping short of full marriage equality.
But now that Obama has shifted, neither candidate occupies this middle ground. Perhaps they're both to be commended for taking a stand rather than cautiously triangulating. But if Obama has taken a politically risky stance on gay marriage, Romney has, too.
Good point.
Weirdly enough, though, both seem to have finally arrived at their politically inexpedient positions through politically expedient processes! In other words, expedience required them to take steps leading them to an inexpedient resting place.
