The article makes him sound like an opportunistic follower.
"the latest of several instances in which he has embarked on a major social policy effort sure to bolster his popularity with a large portion of his political base."
That's politics for you. One of the many reasons it's taken so long to get this far with the legalization effort is that politicians are utterly terrified of being seen as soft on crime or not being for the safety of children or whatever the stupid political buzz-phrase of the moment is that tangentially supports the drug war.
Once more states see how it works out for the few that have dared to step forward, expect the rest to fall in line relatively quickly. The economic benefits alone are impossible to ignore.
"the latest of several instances in which he has embarked on a major social policy effort sure to bolster his popularity with a large portion of his political base."