Andrew Kaczynski at Buzzfeed has a more in depth timeline with videos posted as well.
Obama Gay Marriage Timeline
Obama in 1996: "I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages."
Obama in 2004: "My religious faith dictates marriage is between a man and a woman, gay marriage is not a civil right."
Obama in 2008: "I believe marriage is the union between a man and a woman. As a Christian it's also a sacred union."
In 1996 he was running for a very liberal State Senate seat in Illinois. No Republican was going to be elected, his concern was other Democrats in the Primary: So he supported it.
In 2004 he was going statewide, so it was a riskier position to have: So he opposed it.
In 2008 he was running for President, and the majority of Americans were against same-sex marriage at the time: So he was still against it.
Now in 2012 polls have show a narrow plurality to a narrow majority supporting it, and he knows he won't carry states that oppose it that he carried last time, ones like Indiana and North Carolina: So he supports it.
The President has said that he supports states being able to make the decision on same-sex marriage (which happens to be my position, both in support of SSM and states having the right to legalize it or ban it). But is this his real position? I don't doubt he supports same-sex marriage, but it is possible he does not really favor states' rights in this area.
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