This is what he has to do. Look, by supporting a state amendment, he cements this idea that this should be a state issue in the minds of moderates who oppose gay marriage, but, because the debate is all about language, can support civil unions. Even Bush has made a point to mention that his ill-conceived FMA will still allow civil unions, so it can't be used to paint Kerry as out of touch. I know most people on this board want gay marriage to be recognized everywhere and view it as a major civil rights issue, but most people don't and even huge numbers of Democrats (particularly most ethnic minorities) don't support the idea. This is a pretty astute political move by Kerry and it is unfortunate that more people don't think in the long-term (when people are more comfortable w/ the idea of gay marriage) on these issues and recognize the short-term necessity of Kerry's stance.