Yesterday’s California Supreme Court ruling overturning the state’s gay marriage ban gave John McCain a big open to reach out to his party’s conservative Christian base, especially the Christian Right leaders who continue to be openly skeptical of his candidacy
McCain could have announced he was reversing his opposition to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He could have used the California court’s decision to vent outrage at a “runaway judiciary” and to repeat his promise to appoint conservative judges to the bench.
So far, the Arizona senator has done neither. Instead, his deputy communications director–released this awfully obligatory-sounding statement:
“John McCain supports the right of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution sanctioning the union between a man and a woman, just as he did in his home state of Arizona. John McCain doesn’t believe judges should be making these decisions.”
Yawn.
Half the reason religious conservatives are wary of McCain is his issue stances, from his opposition to the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment to his out-front support for campaign finance reform to his refusal to push for the “nuclear option” during the Senate stalemate over approving George W. Bush’s judicial nominations.
The other half is McCain’s obvious lack of passion for hot button social causes like stopping gay marriage at costs. His response–or non-response–to yesterday’s California ruling will remind the GOP’s base of both reasons for not trusting him.
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posted May 16, 2008 at 8:14 am
It doesn’t matter what John McCain or the two demomites have to say about marriage to Christians. Jesus taught that marriage was a man and a woman. Every Apostles and Disciple affirmed that. For, reporbates, pagans and other leftists, they can do as they wilteth. The First Amendment gives the protected legal staus of clearance to Christians in the United States to live free from supporting and promoting sexual perversion as any kind of civl thing to do.
posted May 16, 2008 at 11:30 am
He doesn’t have to say anything. After all, who are the social conservatives going to vote for?
Remember, if 25% of the voters say that “values” are the most important thing to them, that means that 75% of the voters don’t give a damn. Whose votes does he need more? McCain’s popularity with Hispanics may put California into play for the first time in years. He is not going to sacrifice that chance to keep Alabama, which he probably has anyway.
posted May 16, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Donny: “Jesus taught that marriage was a man and a woman.”
Well…sorta. God’s Word clearly does not condemn a man and three women being married (as with David and his three wives), and clearly makes allowances for them in the NT church (as evidenced by Paul’s advice to Titus and Timothy regarding elders and deacons).
The concept of a man and a woman becoming one flesh was clearly taught in both the OT and NT. Jesus echoed this teaching in his own. However, there is certainly ambiguity regarding the number of such unions one man is permitted to have at one time.
Polygamy was a cultural issue that was mentioned in the Bible, but never condemned.