Gay Marriage is turning out to be the butter knife of wedge issues. Doesn't cut well and few are interested. After all the furor over the possibility of a constitutional amendment, people around the country are asking, "So what?" And the pictures of happy newlyweds are adding to the "live and let live" attitude that co-exists with sexual puritanism in the American psyche. The Republican Congress is also not obliging the President's desire for a wedge issue - it looks like now that no vote at all will be taken this Fall. Can gay marriage, in the end, really not be such a big political deal?
The answer appears to be a miscaclulation of real magnitude. Gay marriage is working against the President: he looks powerless to prevent it. Or, he just plain looks mean and out of touch. Not a compassionate conservative. The clue to this analysis is in Governor Schwarzenegger. Instead of being part of some sort of resurgent Republican spearhead, Schwarzenegger is avoiding Bush altogether. Why, he must wonder, is the president talking about a gay marriage amendment instead of a balanced budget amendment? He's abandoned the President on gay marriage entirely. He has kept mum during the recent scandals. His new budget may relent on 'no new taxes'. And his advisor, Warren Buffet, has joined Kerry's team. Bush is leading his party into the wilderness.
Democrats seem united around "live and let live."
It's the Republicans who are divided.
Monday, May 17, 2004
Massachusetts Marriage Mania
Posted by The Law Talking Guy at 3:19 PM
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This was never really intended as a wedge issue I suspect. It was all about playing the only base of support Bush really can count on -- Evangelical conservatives. They are the only ones who care enough about this issue to change their vote over it. I suspect that the more or less secular Joe Sixpack types who - if asked - will say they are against gay marriage, would really rather not talk about it at all. In polls I've seen about "most important issues," gay marriage is not a big deal for most people one way or the other.
Kerry's strategy of ignoring it is probably a winner for him on this issue - such as it is.
But Bush HAD to come out with a firm position on this issue. He stands no chance at all if he doesn't get a huge turnout from the potentional Evengelical voters.
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