President Obama is getting tagged today for his continued tap-dance around the issue of gay marriage.  His ever-“evolving” position seems always to fall short of the “M” word – just like it does for so many Republicans in New York State.

The President soft-shoed before an audience of 600 gay and lesbian dinner goers last night, who paid $1,250 per head for the honor of watching their President be evasive.  He said gay couples “deserve the same rights as every other couple in our country,” but then implicitly contradicted himself in not coming out of the closet for marriage.

I sympathize with the President.  This is a big country, and, politically, he cannot support same-sex marriage.  It would kill him in conservative states like Virginia and North Carolina, which he needs for re-election. Core constituents of the President – African-Americans and Latinos – are among the fiercest opponents of gay marriage, too. The issue is politically untenable for him.

Most of last night’s dinner guests, according to news reports, seemed to understand the President’s conundrum.  They gave him a break.  There were a few vocal  protests from the audience, but there was a greater amount of applause.

I wonder how many of last night’s dinner attendees would be willing give a Republican representative the same break.  Very few I would venture.  Republicans are the party of Neanderthals because most of them – not all – share the President’s position.