I’ve deliberately avoided commenting on this, mostly because I feel there’s been far too much unnecessary and unpleasant mud-slinging between those in the gay community who support Obama and those who don’t.

I, like you, simply look to what his administration HAS achieved for our community since he’s taken office and he has, undeniably, done far more to help the GLBT community than any prior President I can name; certainly far more than McCain would have given us, had he won the election. And that’s why I still, to this very day, completely fail to understand why so many of us are so incredulously willing and ready to turn their backs on him.

Deep inside, I truly believe that President Obama does support equal marriage. What I personally think is keeping him from taking more of a vocal stand on it, however, is the fear that doing so might very well cost him a second term. We’ve all seen what religiously motivated right-wing groups like the Knights of Columbus, Focus on the Family, the National Organization for Marriage, and the Family Research Council have all done in the past to destroy any and all attempts at furthering equality. What’s to stop these bigots from trying that again if our President comes out in full support of marriage equality BEFORE the 2012 elections? These groups will do absolutely everything within their power to ensure that man never got re-elected.

I could very well be wrong. But it’s the one answer I constantly find myself going back to.

Let us distinguish between statements and actions. Surely we are intelligent enough as a group to understand where Obama stands, especially after observing the trail Obama has boldly blazed with a number of actions in our favor, and taking more personal political risks in doing so than any other sitting politician ever.

Looking forward, Gays cannot benefit from the obvious (even if unstated) positions of Obama if he is not re-elected in 2012. Any and all candidates must calculate their poll ratings and position themselves as they see best. This is a Political Fact of Life – like it or not, and noone reading this should take the position of understanding those calculations better than Barack Obama.

Does anyone, who is wanting more progress, really think that criticizing Obama will help him, or his gay-Hating opponent, whomever that may be, in the 2012 campaigns? I for one, will not be Slowing or Reversing our progress, nor aiding our enemies, by fighting against the ONLY sitting President ever to get us to this point in history. I know without a blink of an eye who I will be supporting. I will not bite the hand that feeds me.

What ever will be gained if in professing this or that, if a Conservative President were to take up the defense of DOMA again in 2012, or to give an Executive Order to Suspend Implementation of the DADT Rollout, etc, etc? The answer is Nothing.

While there is understandable anxiety for more progress, let us also have the balanced perspective to be able to look at where we are, and where we have come in just 2+ short years.

In my humble opinion, if Obama must meter out his statements in order to win 2012 and to take us forward, while we all know that he really does support us, then I will trust the campaign expertise of the man who did win the last election, and the one who has risked personal cred to help us so much.

Presidents always prioritize their squeaky wheels. And we’re not even squeaking yet for 2012. LGBT people are kidding themselves if they think even a LGBT-beloved President Obama is going to have any incentive AFTER 2012 to “make history” with a favorable marriage equality position. With a two-term limit, either way, Obama becomes a lame duck the day after the election. If re-elected, Obama’s power to influence wanes a little bit with each passing day– and everyone in power in DC knows it.

He and (and probably, we) will want him to conserve that waning influence for liberal SCOTUS replacements, e.g. Our opportunity for specific, effective policy demands upon the president is now, during THIS campaign… or settle for a lot less and wait until 2016.