So, if you suspected that Laura Bush’s entreaties not to campaign on banning gay marriage were window-dressing, you were right!
WASHINGTON (Reuters) –
President George W. Bush will promote a constitutional ban on gay marriage on the eve of a Senate vote next week, weighing in on an issue that could rally his wavering conservative base in an election year.
Though the proposed constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage stands little chance of passing, it is one of several hot-button causes Republicans are championing to appeal to right-wing voters ahead of November’s congressional ballot.
Is patriotism really the last refuge of the scoundrel? Nah — it’s picking on minority groups.
But think of it this way: if Bush is at 30% approval, that means people aren’t likely to react favorably to what he says — on any topic. Therefore, we might see a reaction from the public that reflects that, to wit: “Gas is three bucks a gallon, we got guys dying in Iraq and he’s worried about gays?!” And that’s good for us: We craaaazzzy libruls up here don’t want folks worrying about gays. The President should be concerned with more important things than bullying gay people.
By the way, maybe because we seem to be getting along jes’ fine in the Marriage Stability Capital of the US, the polling is actually somewhat encouraging for same-sex marriage:
Just over half of all Americans oppose same-sex marriage, according to a March poll by the Pew Research center, down from 63 percent in February 2004.
In the long run, we’re going to win this issue on the merits, not just in the courts, but in public opinion. And we’re going to win because we’re right.
Charley, don’t underestimate the Republicans’ profoundly devious methods in getting out the vote for their guys come Autumn. Of course everything looks rosy 5 months in advance. At this time two years ago, Swift Boat had yet to gather steam. I know pessimism is an excuse for laziness, but…
don’t sweat it. this is simple, and craven, politic calculus.
bush’s nosedive in the polls is because the rightwingers are abandoning him en masse because he’s not going absolutely hardline gun-turret on immigration.
so to try to cozy back up to them, he’s going to try the old reliable instead; gay bashing.
so let’s just sit back and watch the bigots eat their own.