Tom Hanks: “The president has not only lived up to my expectations, he expanded them”

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Always, always, ALWAYS loved Tom Hanks:

It’s a bit early, but Tom Hanks has already made up his mind about the 2012 presidential election. He’s voting for Barack Obama, again.

In an interview with CNN, the actor who’s been on a media blitz promoting a new movie, explained his endorsement.

Host Kyra Phillips introduced the subject, saying: “All right. President Obama, you’ve been a big supporter…”

Interrupting, Hanks said, “And I will be again! Let me take it right now. I’m going to vote for him for his re-election in 2012. I beat to you the punch.”

Phillips pressed the actor for his thoughts on Obama’s “evolving” stance on gay marriage. “Does President Obama need to endorse it?” she asked.

“Isn’t that above my pay grade to make comments on?” said Hanks, before explaining, “I think all of America should endorse the idea because there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Hanks, a longtime Democrat, went on to say that the president has not only lived up to his expectations but “expanded” them.

Said Hanks, “If you would have told me a few years ago that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ would be repealed and about a billion jobs at General Motors and Chrysler would have been saved because the president was smart enough and strong enough and bold enough to do so, I would have said, ‘Wow. That’s a good president, I think I’ll vote for him again.’”