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Some mainstream media outlets picked up on the tension as well. In the Reuters blog post "No cake for Obama at same-sex weddings," Peter Henderson said the passion of same-sex couples in California had cooled when the topic turned to Obama.

"With all due respect to Mr. Obama, he is not doing anything to ensure my rights," Ilana Kaufman of Oakland, Calif., told Reuters. "Domestic partnership is separate, and it's not equal."

THIS UNDERLINES THE tension that, for years, has seethed between the Democratic Party bosses and homosexual-rights activists on the issue of marriage. The far left wants strong rhetoric and actions to back it up. Politicians have elections to think about.

Striking the delicate balance between energizing the homosexual-rights voting bloc (a solid component of the Democratic base) and avoiding offense of traditionally minded Americans is hardly an enviable task. John Kerry tried in 2004 and failed -- badly.

But the scenario is supposed to be different with Obama. He's the candidate of change and hope, the man who has generated a near-messianic following. He doesn't just wear his liberalism on his sleeve -- he plasters it across his forehead.

He's a new kind of politician: modish, charismatic, compassionate, in touch with the young but appealing to the old, a sure bet to bring down gas prices, beat al Qaeda, and restore American prosperity.

Homosexual activists are so agitated by Obama's stance on marriage rights because he is supposed to be the new candidate, not bound to the dictates of the past. Yet he regurgitates the same old talking points on matrimony, with scant deviation from the positions espoused by John McCain.

Obama's stance on marriage likely won't cost him much support in the general election, even among gays. Bloggers will complain, but the pressure will dissipate. It's a common, and in some cases unfortunate, reality of elections -- pet passionate issues are forgotten by the time November roles around and the competition between candidates is thick.

But still, we saw something important this week: Obama is hardly the Democrats' perfect savior. And at least on this one issue, he's anything but the candidate of change.

topics:
Education, John McCain, Barack Obama, Mainstream Media, Law