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John McCain
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Thursday May 15, 2008
Gay Marriage Decision Puts Heat on McCain
If John McCain wanted an opportunity to make common cause with the Christian Right, he's just been handed it: the California Supreme Court's decision to overturn the state's gay marriage ban. One of the Christian Right's biggest grievances against McCain is his steadfast refusal to get behind a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. This is a moment when McCain can reverse that opposition and make a plausible case that circumstance, rather than raw political calculus, forced his hand.
It wouldn't be the first time a Republican presidential candidate tried such a thing. President Bush used the Massachusetts Supreme Court's 2003 legalization of gay marriage as an opportunity to announce his support for the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment, now known as the Marriage Protection Amendment.
The amendment has gone nowhere in the years since then. But supporting it and roughly a dozen similar state-level constitutional amendments became the rallying cry for Christian conservatives who played a huge role in Bush's reelection. The GOP's evangelical grassroots have been unwilling to play a similar role for McCain for a litany of reasons. Will McCain seize this moment to try to change all that, reverting more to a Karl Rove style get-out-the-base strategy, or will he stick to running a much more centrist campaign by hedging on support for a constitutional amendment? This is a moment of truth.
Filed Under: Christian Right, gay marriage, George W. Bush, John McCain
posted by Dan Gilgoff @ 2:02pm Permalink 
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The God-o-Meter (pronounced Gah-DOM-meter) scientifically measures factors such as rate of God-talk, effectiveness—saying God wants a capital gains tax cut doesn't guarantee a high rating—and other top-secret criteria (Actually, the adjustment criteria are here). Click a candidate's head to get his or her latest God-o-Meter reading and blog post. And check back often. With so much happening on the campaign trail, God-o-Meter is constantly recalibrating!
God-o-Meter blogger Dan Gilgoff is Beliefnet's Politics Editor. A former political correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, he is author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War.
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Comments
James writes that:
Sure, but John Kerry was also opposed to gay marriage, and look how Bush and the GOP nonetheless used his refusal to back a constitutional amendment to bludgeon him in '04. The difference this time around is that McCain, like Kerry, says he opposes gay marriage but also opposes an amendment. Yesterday's ruling presented him with an opportunity to change his position and support an amendment, but it doesn't look like he will. That tells God-o-Meter that he doesn't think the Christian Right can be nearly as influential as it was 4 years ago.
Posted by: God-o-Meter | May 16, 2008 12:28 PM
Don't confuse California voters with California judges. We have passed a gay marriage ban before and we will pass a new law this Nov. to protect traditional marriage again. The gay community can have their "civil Unions", but they can't call it "Marriage", to do so is to redefine the dictionary and create "good speak".
McClain is fence straddling and being just like the Republicans for the last eight years, all talk and no action. The Religious Right better look to the Christian Left (Progressive Christians) for the future. The Democrats have found God.
Posted by: Paul Shiras | May 16, 2008 2:16 PM
This is to the so called. Bible readers! That uses. Only what they
want to believe! Read God"s Bible. 1 Corinthians 6:9 Homosexuality.
Leviticus,Romans 1:26 Then tell me . God , In his own written words.
Changes His mind on what , He has wrote!!!! Or, do you pick and choose?
M.T.
Monggomery, Al
Posted by: M.T. | May 16, 2008 4:03 PM
Thanks , For allowing me to post my comment . On you'r page!
I do however have a correctoin. It's M.T. From Montgomery AL.
Not monggomery. Thanks, For you'r time . And, Consideration!
M.T.
Posted by: M.T. | May 16, 2008 4:18 PM
Paul,
You're supportive of both a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California and the Christian Left? How do you square those conflicting loyalties?
Posted by: God-o-Meter | May 18, 2008 10:58 AM
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