Whether by design or not, President Obama's shift in immigration policy today may have served a more important purpose in the 2012 election.

His support of Gay Marriage and his move today to act compassionately towards illegal immigrants who arrived here as young children will clearly separate him from the presumptive Republican candidate.

While Obama may well lose some votes, the vast majority of those opposed to Gay Marriage and immigration reform would not have voted for him anyway. Many of those in favor of these (and other liberal causes) would already have voted for Obama. He may gain some votes and support from Hispanic and other immigrant groups, but possibly the more important result of his recent actions is shifting the debate from the economy and tax policy to social causes.

Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike, are all affected by the economy and one can see voters being swayed by the false rhetoric and fear mongering of the right and the Romney campaign. No one, however, can miss the clear difference between the liberal and compassionate policies of the Obama Presidency and the xenophobic, religious zealotry of the Romney camp.

nuf said