Gay Marriage: Was Obama Smart to Support Now?

President Barack Obama "came out" (pardon the pun) yesterday and voiced public support for gay marriage for the first time.

The Huffington Post reports that Obama is the first sitting president to support the issue.

"I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly," Obama told ABC News' Robin Roberts. "... at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told NPR's Morning Edition, "It is just overwhelming, given his influence, given his leadership and given the historic nature that this is the first president in our history that this is the first president in our history to take such a bold move."

Morning Edition added that actvists are compaing the move to the Stonewall riots that helped spark the gay rights movement.

But the morning after, news outlets are buzzing about what this move means for his bid for reelection this fall:

• The New York Times: A Watershed Move, Both Risky and Inevitable
• FOXNews: Who’s to Blame for Obama’s Awkward Rollout on Same-Sex Marriage? Biden or Clooney
• The Huffington Post: Americans Divided As Obama Endorses Same-Sex Marriage
• NPR: Obama Gambles On Gay Marriage

What do you think: was this bold move a smart one for Obama? 

Tell us in the comments!