While we’re remembering John McCain’s misdeeds, it shouldn’t go unremarked upon that Barack Obama leaves this election with at least one major stain on his record. The victory of Proposition 8 in California (the state that believes farm animals deserve better treatment than gay people) can largely be laid at his feet.

It was homophobic African-American voters who put the bigoted proposition, stripping gay Californians of the right to marry, over the top. If Obama had bothered to expend one cent of political capital on the issue, he probably could have swayed the outcome. And the polls made it clear how close things were. But he didn’t.

Voters should remember his cowardice on this issue. He’s got a term to make it up.