While it understandably offends many Americans

President Barack Obama's declaration of a personal acceptance of same-sex marriage made for a historic moment, even if its short-term impact remains to be seen. The statement was no surprise, coming on the heels cheap louis vuitton sunglasses of Vice President Joseph Biden's kindred remarks and presaged by the administration's abolishment of "Don't ask, don't tell" for the military and its decision not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. In terms of political strategy, the president's stand may not be all that audacious. Roughly half of Americans are telling pollsters they are OK with same-sex marriage, and younger voters lean heavily in favor. For the most part, individuals, groups and states that strongly oppose women louis vuitton shoes fashion best online discount purple gay marriage already tend to be beyond Obama's reach in the November election. Heated as the issue can be, it ranks far down the list of concerns driving the electorate in a nation beset with high unemployment, mountainous government debt, a crisis in health-care financing and two wars. And the president himself is not pushing specific legislation on marriage, instead leaving the matter to the states. The states are a mixed bag. Six of them, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized same-sex marriage, while nearly all the rest explicitly ban it. Just Tuesday in North Carolina, where the Democratic Party will nominate Obama for re-election this summer, voters outlawed both burberry handbags outlet same-sex marriage and civil unions. The civil unions ban also is written into a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that will go to the voters in 2014 if approved by the 2013 General Assembly. The referendum would be a divisive and expensive battle over a contract that already is forbidden by state law. Clearly, states will contend with the definition of marriage for years to come unless they're trumped by a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The president's proclamation has far less to do with legislation and lawsuits than with attitudes. While it understandably offends many Americans and draws a collective shrug from many others, it sends a profound message to certain citizens who, despite cheap burberry bag brown fashion on sale 2012 growing acceptance, remain marginalized. The echoes from that validation will resound far beyond capitols and courthouses.