Gay ‘marriage’ looms as ‘wedge’

Same-sex “marriage” has become a vexing presidential campaign issue for Democratic candidates, who are torn between their homosexual constituency and a public that overwhelmingly opposes the idea.

Although leading Democratic candidates agree with President Bush’s opposition to homosexual “marriage,” they also support a half-measure that the president does not — civil unions. And unlike Mr. Bush, they have refused to criticize the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court for recently ordering the state legislature to legalize homosexual “marriage.”

“This is a huge wedge issue,” said Democratic consultant Michael Goldman of Massachusetts.

“It’s a major, fundamental difference” between the way Mr. Bush sees the world and the way the Democratic candidates see the world, he said.

“You’ve got one guy who looks like he’s got a strong position and who’s willing to stand up and say it,” he added. “And then you’ve got the Democrats, who look like they’re looking for an out, because they don’t want to insult their constituency.”

Republican strategist Charles Manning of Massachusetts agreed.

“The Democrats can’t decide whether our state first and then the country should move toward gay marriage, because they’re trying to play both sides against the middle,” he said. “The Republicans are very clear in their position that they don’t accept gay marriage.”

According to a poll this month by Fox News Channel and Opinion Dynamics, homosexual “marriage” is opposed by 66 percent of Americans and supported by 25 percent. Respondents also opposed civil unions by a margin of 48 percent to 41 percent.

The gap was narrower in a recent Pew Research Center poll, which showed Americans opposing homosexual “marriage” by a margin of 53 percent to 38 percent. Only 24 percent of Republicans favored the practice, compared with 45 percent of Democrats.

“In terms of issues that raise voter turnout and intensity, this obviously is a real bonus for Republicans because it strengthens their base,” Mr. Manning said.

Bush campaign officials said they think the president would have won the popular vote in 2000 if Christian conservatives had turned out in larger numbers. Such turnout might be boosted next year by the homosexual “marriage” case and a June Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas anti-sodomy law.

“Nothing brings out the Christian conservative base more than having some good ‘red-meat’ moral issues on the docket,” Mr. Manning said.

“On the other side, it kind of splinters the Democratic base,” he added. “To have their nominee wishy-washy on it and not ready to take a firm stand, I think will probably turn off the gay-activist voters who have been such an important part of the Democratic coalition over the last several years.”

Mr. Goldman pointed out that although Massachusetts might be moving toward homosexual “marriage,” Southern states such as Mississippi are not.

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