So again, according to Clinton, she did not favor gay marriage in her heart prior to 2013 and refrained from saying so because Americans weren’t yet ready for that position. Rather, she earnestly felt that a marriage is between a man and a woman—even as she also thought, legally speaking, that states should make policy on the subject (one of the only states rights positions that I am aware of her taking). Her rhetoric is perfect for assuaging the discomfort of general-election voters who started supporting gay marriage relatively late in the game. But it may be problematic if she faces off against a primary opponent who spent years favoring marriage equality while Clinton opposed it. At minimum, she’ll have to admit that on a big question, her opponent was correct for years while she was wrong.
One wonders if her reputation for wisdom and competence can survive a primary election that focuses attention on how frequently she gets big judgment calls wrong.
