President Obama: "Equal Protection Clause Does Guarantee Same-Sex Marriage"

President Obama was asked by Jeffrey Toobin, writing for the New Yorker, to name the best Supreme Court ruling during his tenure as president so far.

His answer? The recent SCOTUS decision to not review same-sex marriage appeals which allowed marriage equality to move forward one state at a time.

“Ultimately, I think the Equal Protection Clause does guarantee same-sex marriage in all fifty states,” he said. “But, as you know, courts have always been strategic. There have been times where the stars were aligned and the Court, like a thunderbolt, issues a ruling like Brown v. Board of Education, but that’s pretty rare.

“And, given the direction of society, for the Court to have allowed the process to play out the way it has may make the shift less controversial and more lasting.”

When asked if he would consider a judgeship after the presidency: “When I got out of law school, I chose not to clerk. Partly because I was an older student, but partly because I don’t think I have the temperament to sit in a chamber and write opinions.”