A leader in the fight to preserve the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is warning Republicans not to abandon the cause after reports suggest the GOP hopes the Supreme Court will help them out of an awkward position later this year.
The renewed concerns from social conservatives comes after a New York Times report suggesting Republican Party officials are thrilled the Supreme Court is taking up the issue this year, suggesting it will be a settled issue by the time 2016 rolls around. Republicans championed traditional marriage in 2004 and many observers believe George W. Bush owes his victory that year to millions of extra voters showing up to support traditional marriage amendments in key states such as Ohio.
Since then, the GOP has been increasingly less vocal, especially with millennial generation voters overwhelmingly supporting same-sex marriage.
According to the Times report, even governors who were once staunch defenders of traditional marriage, are waving the white flag.
After losing on the issue in a lower court, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie refused to fight for the existing traditional marriage law, calling it “a settled issue.”
After federal appeals courts sided with same-sex marriage litigants in Wisconsin and Indiana and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear appeals, the GOP governors of those states also said the fight was essentially over.
“For us, it’s over in Wisconsin,” said Walker.
“People are free to disagree with court decisions, but we are not free to disobey them,” said Pence.
Most recently, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a likely 2016 contender, indicated his position has also changed over the past several years.
“We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,” the Times quoted Bush as saying.
Liberty Counsel Chairman Mathew Staver has defended traditional marriage in many states around the country. He has little regard for politicians who wilted on this issue once the poll numbers started to change.
“I think they’re wrong. They’re wrong historically, and they deserve no one’s vote for being that kind of person who comes out and makes such a statement as a politician. Governor Scott Walker, Governor Pence, Governor Chris Christie, former Governor Jeb Bush, they’re wrong,” he said.
Republican Party operatives counter by saying many courts have already spoken, the Supreme Court will rule in June and GOP officials have little choice but to enforce those rulings and move on to other issues. Staver says great leaders in history have proved that approach to be wrong.
“Abraham Lincoln didn’t say, ‘Well, the Supreme Court spoke on Dred Scott. I’m personally opposed to slavery, but the courts have spoken so we’re going to continue to impose slavery.’ No, he opposed it. He advocated that this was wrong. Thomas Jefferson didn’t say, ‘I don’t like the Libel and Sedition Act. It violates free speech. You can’t protest the government under that. I think that’s wrong, but we’ve got to uphold it.’ No, what did he do? He completely advocated disobedience,” said Staver.
He says the way prominent Republicans have shifted on the issue show them to be precisely the type of leaders Americans do not want in an even higher office.
“They need to have some guts. This is an issue that is not some side, tangential issue. This is a fundamental reshaping of our society. It is a clash with religious freedom of unprecedented proportion. And if they don’t get it, they don’t get my vote,” said Staver.
GOP officials dispute that last point, saying the economy and national security are far more pressing issues than the fight over marriage and they believe primary and general election voters do not want to make this a key issue in the 2016 campaign. Staver thinks Americans are much more upset about the courts taking the power away from states to decide marriage laws than the national party or even polls might suggest.
“I think many primary voters are of that mindset. They want somebody who will speak truth, who will speak boldly. The people of this country don’t want these mealy, weak-backed, weak-kneed politicians. I think they’re frankly sick and tired of the courts deciding these major social issues for them when they know that the courts have no authority to do so,” said Staver.
Staver says social conservatives would strongly prefer to advance their causes through the Republican Party, but he says the party may leave them no choice but to leave and support someone else.
“I think if the Republican Party or any party ultimately goes off the farm on same-sex marriage that that party is no longer worthy of support. I think it’s time for another party. That hasn’t happened with the Republican Party, but certainly it’s happened with some of the Republican candidates. I think people just need to simply write in different candidates and vote for different candidates that have the backbone,” said Staver.
He believes Republicans still have a chance to get this right. Social conservatives have been a critical part of the Republican coalition since the rise of Ronald Reagan in 1980. However, Staver says there are clear limits to that support.
“You can’t compromise on life . If a candidate doesn’t get that, they don’t get your vote. And you can’t compromise on the natural created order of marriage as a man and a woman. If they don’t get those very basic, simple facts, how are you going to get them to figure out where they ought to balance the budget or what they’re going to do if Iran gets a nuclear weapon,” said Staver.
“If they can’t get the basic kindergarten kind of fundamental, foundation values, then how can they get anything else? They’re not deserving of our time and certainly not of our votes,” he said.
