DEVAL PATRICK FAILS TO PERSUADE:

Gov. Deval Patrick insisted before a national TV audience yesterday that President Obama’s sudden endorsement of same-sex marriage was “about convictions … not about politics,” but there was little indication he convinced anyone — even advocates who support his message, while political pundits dismissed it as so much election-year spin.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is gullible beyond belief, to coin a phrase.

UPDATE: What Romney should say about Obama and gay marriage:

Marriage has long been a matter that belongs to states. Both Obama and Romney know that and know that it is not what the U.S. Presidency is about. They do not differ on the actual policy. It’s good that Obama has expressed respect for federalism here. If only he would see the value of federalism more generally instead of continually enlarging the role of the federal government. Let’s look at his record of growing federal government at the expense of state and local government and at the expense of private entrepreneurship….

Indeed.