Marriage Matters

Will gay marriage become the big issue in the 2004 Presidential election? Pundits everywhere say (emphatically) "Yes!"

I say no.

The President has nothing to gain by making it an issue. And, in fact, he could lose ground.

Y'see, for the vast majority of Americans, the Culture Wars are a non-starter. They might have opinions when asked, but they're a lot more concerned about jobs and such. There is, of course, a constituency for the issue, the hardline, radical Christian right. They'll be mobilized like hell over this, heading to the polls in droves. But they'd be doing that anyway. Bush, who prohibited the use of Federal funds for fetal stem cell research, is already their guy.

But, you might say, they'll be digging deeper into their wallets.

And that's true. But there are two sides to that equation. I don't doubt that the Human Rights Campaign has a fundraising letter going out in today's mail. Gays will be opening up their wallets, too. And our discretionary income outstrips theirs by wide margins.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised--although I hate to admit the level of my cynicism--that there's probably rejoicing in the Kerry camp. Siince the President made an issue of it by advocating a Constitutional Freakin' Amendment, the Democrats don't really have to worry much about doing anything else for us this year. We're taken care of.

Oh. And if you think about it, there's not a lot of difference between Bush's position on the issue and Kerry's.

How about that.

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