Family Research Council
Tony Perkins' Washington Update
April 27, 2015

Marriage Hits a Hopefuls Note

The best barometer of what matters to voters isn't what's coming out of the media's mouth -- but the candidates'. For months, the press has tried to persuade the nation that marriage is not only a settled issue, but an unimportant one. This past weekend's Faith and Freedom Coalition event blew that theory to bits, as every presidential hopeful but one almost tried to be more outspoken on the issue than the others. Polling has its place, but generally speaking, candidates don't lead the voters -- voters lead them. And the fact that heading into a major presidential election cycle, almost every official and potential GOP candidate has publicly thrown their support behind marriage is the best indication of where voters truly stand.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who hasn't shied away from a single question on the issue, reiterated his opinion that "There is no federal constitutional right to same sex marriage. There isn't such a right. You have to have a ridiculous reading of the U.S. Constitution to reach the conclusion that people have a right to marry someone of the same sex." Other stalwarts like Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), haven't budged from their position -- despite the slings and arrows from the Left.

While conservatives are usually blamed for fixating on marriage, Senator Cruz fired back that it's actually liberals who "are obsessed with 'mandatory gay marriage in all 50 states." And while those liberals may have had some success scaring off people like Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Governor Bobby Jindal (R-La.) threw down the gauntlet in Iowa, warning, "Corporate America is not going to bully the Governor of Louisiana."

Even more moderate Republicans like Governor Scott Walker (R-Wisc.), who is usually more reluctant to speak up on the issue, joined the pack. "Let me be clear, I believe marriage is between one man and one woman," he announced, before cataloguing his efforts on Wisconsin's marriage amendment. "I still hold out hope that the Supreme Court will rule, as has been the tradition in the past, that the states are the places that get to define what marriage is. If for some reason they don't ... I believe it's reasonable for the people of America to consider a constitutional amendment that would affirm the ability of states to do just that."

Although Jeb Bush skipped the event, his surrogate wasn't going to leave Iowa without declaring: "[Jeb] Bush supports traditional marriage." Only Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), whose statements are a muddled mix, refused to comment on the issue. Paul's lack of enthusiasm for marriage was more than made up for by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) who had a message for every GOP strategist urging a retreat on these issues, "To those who say, on the Republican side, we need to abandon social conservatism so quit talking about these issues because you can't win an election. Here's my response. You don't know what you're talking about."

These candidates understand what the media cannot: Regardless of what the Supreme Court rules on marriage this summer, they won't settle such a fundamental public policy issue any more than Roe v. Wade settled abortion in 1973. Forty-two years later, it is an issue in every election from the President on down. Fortunately for conservatives, they know exactly where their potential Presidents stand!

American Bridge
April 28, 2015

Divorced from Reality: GOP Slate Opposes Marriage Equality

As the Supreme Court hears oral arguments today on a landmark gay marriage case, every single GOP presidential candidate continues to oppose gay marriage, with Scott Walker going as far as supporting a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality and Ted Cruz offering legislation that would invalidate thousands of legal marriages. 61 percent of Americans support marriage equality according to a recent Washington Post-ABC poll.

Here's the heated rhetoric from the candidates vying to be our next president:

Mike Huckabee: Changing my stance on same-sex marriage "is like asking someone who’s Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli, or asking a Muslim to serve up something that is offensive to him, or to have dogs in his backyard." 

Scott Walker: " I believe marriage is between one man and one woman…I believe it’s reasonable for the people of America to consider a constitutional amendment that would affirm the ability of states to do just that."

Rick Perry: “Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”

Jeb Bush: "I believe in traditional marriage."

Rick Santorum: “When we continue to see a decline in marriage and a redefinition of marriage, you get less marriage,” he said. “You get families that aren’t as strong, and as a result, society generally, the economy suffers.”

Ted Cruz: "Marriage is a question for the states. That is why I have introduced legislation, to protect the authority of state legislatures to define marriage... I will be introducing a constitutional amendment to prevent the federal government or the courts from attacking or striking down state marriage laws. "

Marco Rubio: "There is a growing intolerance on this issue, intolerance of those who continue to support traditional marriage...Supporting the definition of marriage as one man and one woman, is not anti-gay. It is pro-traditional marriage.”

Rand Paul: "I’m for traditional marriage, I think marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Ben Carson: “They have no right to say to me that I must change the way I think in order to accommodate what they believe, that’s where the injustice comes from, and we have to understand that.”