Earlier this week a groundbreaking decision was made in the Supreme Court on Gay Marriage and now the GOP & potential presidential candidates are scrambling to figure out what’s the next step. In case you weren’t aware of this event on Monday here’s a short recap of what happened.
This decision in a nutshell has no major impact on the Democratic Party as whole because the majority were in support for equality in marriage. Republicans on the other hand, well….let’s just say they aren’t taking this decision too well.
The reason why this decision is so problematic is because many Republican officials are forced to deal with this issue in their respective states while also trying to gather support for their ambitions to become a viable presidential or congressional candidate. This will not be an easy topic to discuss for Republicans because the GOP has a very large religious following that is very conservative and have been adamant about their view on same-sex marriage. This conservative following is crucial to have on your side when running as a Republican, especially for the upcoming elections in 2016.
Texas senator Ted Cruz who once described the ruling as quote “judicial activism at its worst,” has since pledged to introduce a constitutional amendment that would limit the court’s ability to strike down the remaining state laws blocking gay marriage. “We’re seeing right now an assault on traditional marriage,” he added. Other Republicans have chosen to no longer fight what appears to be a losing battle. Governor Scott Walker was one of the first to accept the reality of Gay Marriage which is now legal in his state of Wisconsin after his state’s appeal was declined by the Supreme Court.
“For us, it’s over in Wisconsin, I’d rather be talking in the future now more about our jobs plan and our plan for the future of the state. I think that’s what matters to the kids. It’s not this issue.”
But for religious conservatives it is a HUGE issue. Especially in states like Iowa & South Carolina, where they have an enormous influence in Republican presidential contests, the issue will not go away. One Republican national committee member was even quoted as saying “If you’re a candidate for president who refuses to oppose homosexual marriage, I don’t see how you get elected, you’re going to get clobbered.”
This is a major step for the Gay Rights movement when only ten years ago, George W. Bush gained much support for supporting states that wanted a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Now there are GOP presidential hopefuls all across the nation trying to decide which side of the fence to be on. Do they stick to their guns and continue fighting gay marriage while going against what the majority of Americans support? Or do they veer on the side of acceptance and jeopardize the support of the respective party they represent? Although those that are intending to run for president may struggle with this decision, conservatives in power from Kansas, South Carolina, & Wyoming have all stated this week that they will not issue marriage licenses to gay couples until their hands are forced, meaning further litigation for those states to allow Same-sex marriage. Just another day in America’s “Politics As Usual” scheme.
– JRC
Product Of Society 