Re: Obama's 'unplanned' announcement

Earlier this morning Jon pointed out reasons why he believes Obama's announcement was planned from the beginning.  I'd like to add a few more to the list:

1.  What are the chances the president's campaign could pull together this major fundraising effort -- complete with ready-go-graphics -- in just 48 hours?

2. One in six Obama fundraising "bundlers" is gay and Obama's announcement is already paying off predictable dividends.  'Nuff said.

3. Speaking of fundraising...

The timing of the event is creating a blockbuster confluence of high celebrity, big money and committed activism. Hollywood is home to some of the most high-profile backers of gay marriage and the 150 donors who are paying $40,000 to attend Clooney's dinner Thursday night will no doubt feel newly invigorated by Obama's watershed announcement the day before.

4. I don't believe for a second that the Obama campaign planned to debut his new position in September at the Democratic National Convention.  Obama is counting on pulling votes from some swing states to win in November and a divisive issue like gay marriage is not one he'd ever want to tackle just weeks before the general election.

5. Instead, why not send Joe Biden out with a "gaffe" the weekend before North Carolina approved its own constitutional amendment and use the media attention of both events to springboard an announcement from Obama and dominate the news cycle for an entire week?  Makes sense to me.

6. The issue of gay marriage is yet another way Obama can distract the electorate from his failing performance in office.

7. And finally, I personally believe Obama's announcement was totally planned because... Obama denies it: "It would be hard to argue that somehow this is something that I'd be doing for political advantage because frankly, the politics, it's not clear how they're going to cut." (Update:Pelosi, too)