Obama's Gay Marriage Views Evolved Much Faster Than He Let On, Adviser Writes
David Axelrod, Obama Campaign Senior Political Strategist, speaks to reporters after the Presidential Debate between Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at the University of Denver on October 3, 2012 in Denver, Colorado.
Photographer: Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesDavid Axelrod's memoir, released Tuesday, sheds new light on President Barack Obama's inner conflict about his public stance on same-sex marriage.
The book, called Believer, talks about a sit-down the Obama had with his advisers in preparation for his reelection campaign, when he listed the views he wanted to speak bluntly about, the most "nagging" of which was gay marriage. Axelrod's account suggests that the president's "evolving" views on gay marriage had actually solidified quite some time earlier, saying that the president had been in favor of same sex marriage for as long as the two had known each other.