Republicans Need for the Supreme Court to Rule in Favor of Gay Marriage

They Really Cannot Prosper if the Court Rules in Their Favor

In an odd twist of events Republicans and Conservatives have to be hoping that the coming Supreme Court decisions in two cases involving the legality and Constitutionality of prohibiting gay marriage will result in legalization of gay marriage.  This seems strange, given that Republicans and Conservatives, with some notable exceptions, are unalterably opposed to marriage equality.  But the logic here is this.

Acceptance of gay and lesbian couples as basic, decent, regular Americans by the rest of the nation is soaring.  Poll after poll is showing approval of equal rights for everyone, and now Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post shows us the why behind the polling.

The most commonly cited reason for the change of heart — offered by one in three respondents — is that they know someone who is gay.  Interestingly, that’s the reason Ohio Sen. Rob Portman gave for his decision to come out in support of gay marriage recently; Portman’s son, Will, told his parents two years ago that he is gay.

Other regularly-mentioned reasons for changing opinions on gay marriage include “grown more open/thought about it more” (25 percent), “it’s inevitable” (18 percent) and “everyone is free to choose” (18 percent).

Doc Sweitzer, a Democratic media consultant based in Philadelphia, offered another take on why attitudes on gay marriage have shifted.

“Here’s the answer: Television,” Sweitzer wrote in an email to the Fix. “It’s the greatest socializing tool of all time. Archie Bunker changed attitudes about race and the generational divide. Gays are portrayed in all kinds of shows in a positive light, from ‘Law and Order’ to ‘CSI’. They are shown as people who just want to live their lives.”

So as far as the eventual outcome on this issue is concerned, the issued is done.  The American people have reversed themselves and that reversal is permanent.  Equality has won out over those who would try to dictate how others lead their lives.  The conservative principle that people not harming other people should be left alone to live their lives has triumphed in spite of Conservatives.

Since Republicans and Conservatives cannot cause themselves to reverse their position and admit they were wrong, they need for the issue to go away, big time.  So the Supreme Court can do them a great favor by taking the issue off the table.  This will not cause the opponents of basic equality, decency and equal rights to change their positions, it will just make their positions irrelevant.  They can go on fomenting their hate, it’s just that no one will pay any attention to them.  And that’s what they need on this issue.