Obama is in North Carolina again today. He's speaking at UNC to talk about college loans….
But President Obama is not expected to touch the subject when he appears in Chapel Hill on Tuesday — even though it is roiling the electorate there…. His delicate sidestep of Amendment One, a ballot initiative to be decided May 8 that would recognize marriage between a man and a woman as the only legal domestic partnership in North Carolina, is seen by some as another sign that he is not fully committed to gay rights — an interpretation that could dampen the enthusiasm of the young voters he is trying to court.
I get that the White House wants to stay on message and talk about the economy rather than gay stuff. But he's really turning off some elements of his consituency — which he needs desparately. North Carolina is a key swing state, which Obama barely won 4 years ago, and it really shouldn't hurt him if he throws a nod toward, you know, civil rights.