Obama addresses the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner in October 2009. (Photo by VJnet)After a three-day period in which three of his top officials endorsed same-sex marriage while his spokespeople continued the line that his views are “evolving,” President Obama is expected to be asked about the topic directly today in an interview with ABC News.
Robin Roberts will speak with Obama at 1:30 p.m. in a taped interview that will be aired later in the day and tomorrow on Good Morning America. The sit-down comes on the heels of comments made by Vice President Joe Biden and two cabinet secretaries that embraced marriage equality for all. It also comes the day after North Carolina voters approved an amendment to that state’s constitution defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The New York Times reports that ABC News scheduled today’s interview in quite a hurry:
ABC secured the interview with Mr. Obama on Tuesday afternoon, according to two people involved in the planning. It will take place at the White House. The interview was so hastily arranged, in fact, that Ms. Roberts was still in New York on Wednesday morning to co-host “Good Morning America”- and was planning on returning to New York right after the interview, because her mother is visiting and the two have dinner plans on Wednesday evening.
Biden made headlines Sunday when he said on Meet the Press that he is “absolutely comfortable” with the notion two men or two women marrying each other. The White House and the president’s re-election campaign were quick to respond with statements claiming that like Obama, Biden was also “evolving on the issue.” On Monday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he thought same-sex marriage should be legal. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said last November he supported the issue.
Although ABC News says Roberts’ interview with Obama will be “wide-ranging,” many expect the president will be asked just how far his views on marriage have evolved. Some even expect the president might finally express a solid position on the matter:
So do I think President Obama will endorse same-sex marriage today? Yes. Yes I do.
— Marc Ambinder (@marcambinder) May 9, 2012
Today feels like the make or break moment in 08 in the run-up to the Obama race speech.
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) May 9, 2012
Obama’s campaign put out a statement last night calling the North Carolina vote “disappointing,” The Washington Post reported. Clarifying his position on same-sex marriage would also go a long way to please the president’s donor base. The Post figures that as many as one in six Obama campaign bundlers are gay.
Update, 2:45 p.m.: ABC is expected to broadcast a portion of the interview at 3 p.m., the Times’ Brian Stelter writes.
Update, 3 p.m.: President Obama said in an interview today that after a thought process he described as “evolving,” he supports the right of homosexual couples to marry. SFist will have a longer post on Obama’s announcement shortly.
