People are often swayed by emotional rhetoric, bad arguments, and fluff.
L. Ron Hubbard, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Ayn Rand, and other self-help gurus always sell well. Like a used car salesman, they tell you what you want to hear.

Its unfortunate, but I have more sympathy for people who end up having to deal with the idiots; those who consume bestsellers like candy, than the idiots themselves. Maybe that sounds harsh, and maybe it is. But when people keep doing stupid things, over and over, my patience tends to wear thin.

You are correct though, he does support marriage rights within civil unions, as any shrewd politician would. And abolishing state recognized ‘marriage’, in favor of civil unions for everyone, has always seemed to me, to be the most reasonable compromise on such a divisive issue. Not to mention, it fits in better with the ideas of separation of church and state. Also, giving civil unions full rights would give straights, who are pro-gay rights, a way of showing support, by simply ignoring ‘marriage’ in favor of state civil unions. Everyone wins.

This is essentially the same issue that stalled gay marriage in canada for so long. People are willing to argue endlessly about the definition of words. And I have little doubt that if a prop 8 vote had been allowed in Canada at the time it was being decided, there is a very good chance there would be no ‘gay marriage’ here either. Luckily we have a less-democratic system. Some times that’s a good thing.

Whatever happened to “Come, let us reason together, says the Lord your God”?

Except that I hope that Obama in time will provide greater civil rights for gays. One must remember that Clinton said he endorsed school prayer but appointed Judges who struck it down at every turn.

Ultimately what happens with gay rights is a matter of court appointments not speeches.

You can trace Obama’s rightward shift from his Illinois days to the presidential election, one might say that its shrewd politics, and that his earlier stances are more akin to his real views.

Obama is opposed the word marriage, but he supports marriage rights in civil unions.

Warren’s book was one of the best selling books in the world for years.

By your logic millions of people “get what they deserve.”