This  afternoon after 3 days of almost non-stop news speculation and pressure  from the LGBT community, President Barack Obama came out in favor of  gay marriage.

Almost everyone expected that he would do this, but that the President would wait until after the fall election.

But why come out now?

Reports  show that 1 in 6 of Obama's top campaign finance bundlers are openly  gay. We know from the 2008 campaign, that gay activists booed then  Senator Obama down when holding a rally at an LGBT gathering for not  taking a firm enough stand on gay issues. We know that the LGBT  community has not been all that happy over the last 3 years with the  President, believing he has moved too slowly on issues dear to gay  Americans.

Yes,  the President has not enforced or defended the Defense of Marriage Act  (DOMA). Yes, the President removed the stigma which allows gays to serve  openly in the military. Yes, the President said he was for equal rights  and benefits. But that was not enough for LGBT activists.

We know that the presidential race will be very tight. We know that every vote counts.

So  did the President allow Vice President Joe Biden and members of his  Cabinet to "out" him over the last few days to pander to the LGBT  community in hopes that those single issue voters would fall in line?

As  a gay male in a long-term, committed relationship, I am glad that the  President is in favor of equal rights and benefits under the law. That  he used the term, gay marriage, is not of consequence to me. I am much  more than my sexuality. I am not defined by one issue, but by a myriad  of issues.

This is still, in my opinion, a distraction from the more pressing issues of the economy, jobs and the national debt.

Too  many of my fellow LGBT are blind to how the economy, lack of jobs and  the unsustainable debt affects them. All they see is a man in power  coming out for gay marriage. This is sad.

Is  equal rights and benefits for all couples - same gender or opposite  gender - important? Absolutely, just not as pressing as the economy,  jobs and the national debt at this point in time.

I  also see this as just another step in dividing the nation. The tactic  of coming out for gay marriage, to me, is just one more way to divide  and conquer. Rather than lay out feasible plans for righting the  economy, spurring job creation and tackling the national debt, the  President is pulling a sleight of hand to take our attention away from  his record.

Again,  I am glad as a gay male, the President has come out for gay marriage.  But that doesn't mean I will be sucked into the whirlpool of a one-issue  mindset.

On  the other hand, Republicans are likely to play right into the trap that  has been set for it and will cause even further division and conflict.  If Republicans are smart they will ignore the social issue completely  and stick to the issues of the economy, jobs and the national debt.

If  Republicans take issue, all that will happen is that the youth vote and  many independents and moderates will balk and either stay home or cast a  vote to return the President to office in November. The Republicans  must find the middle ground and not make a stand that leads to  polarization.

That is unless the GOP is planning to lose the election come November.

From the Cornfield, I will weigh all the issues, not just one in making my determination on how to vote on November 8.

http://politico.com/news/stories/0512/76103.html