You might have missed it, but on Friday, President Barack Obama answered questions from young voters during "Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview With the President," including whether he had a "game-changing idea" to lower the cost of higher education and his stance on stricter gun-control laws. And then he spoke to MTV News's Sway Calloway about the issue of marriage equality for same-sex couples.
"First of all, I've been very clear about my belief that same-sex couple have to be treated before the eyes of the law the same way as heterosexual couples. I think that's the right thing to do. It's based on my personal experience, seeing loving couples who are committed to each other, raising kids and are just outstanding people," he told Sway. "And I was supportive of civil unions, but they taught me, if you're using different words, if you're somehow singling them out, they don't feel true equality.
"But what I've also said is, historically, marriages have been defined at the state level. And there's a conversation going on ... there's some states that are still having the debate. And I think for us to try to legislate federally into this is probably the wrong way to go," Obama continued. "The courts are going to be examining these issues. I've stood up and said I'm opposed to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act ... I've said that's wrong, [and] there are a couple of cases that are working their way through the courts, and my expectation is that Defense of Marriage Act will be overturned. But, ultimately, I believe that if we have that conversation at the state level, the evolution that's taking place in this country will get us to a place where we are going to be recognizing everybody fairly."
But then a guy named Tucker, a student from Georgetown, called bullshit.
"I love having a president in the White House who can go on MTV and say that he thinks gay and lesbian people should get married... But the fact is, it's been four years and the Defense of Marriage Act is still on the books, and I don't think the conversation should be left to the states. I believe in evolution too, but I believe there's a right answer to that question, and we need to take it farther."
It's just a little more than seven days away from election day. What do you think the president will do (and should do) if he is re-elected?
