But they acknowledge that Vice President Joe Bidendid, indeed, force their hand. For President Barack Obama and his team, the decision to back gay marriage came down to a choice between two unpalatable alternatives: Support it and brave the backlash in battleground states where the issue could be a liability - or keep silent and be accused by allies of gutlessness and putting politics over principle.Īdministration officials said the president planned to announce his support before the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., this September.
