Just over a month ago, during an ABC TV interview, US President Barack Obama announced his support for same sex marriage. “I've been going through an evolution on this issue," he said. “I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. At a certain point I've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." The announcement was not entirely surprising, considering that Americans have taken Obama as a symbol of the modern, progressive USA. But the timing made clear that the issue would become part of Obama's campaign for reelection this year. A few days later, it was revealed that Republican presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney, had allegedly bullied gay students when he was at high school. The US president's announcement has engendered enthusiasm among his core supporters, especially, predictably, his gay supporters. But, for an election issue, it has so far failed to shift public opinion noticeably. In fact, the USA remains virtually evenly divided on the issue. A poll by the San Francisco Chronicle showed that support for gay marriage had dropped two percentage point from 42% to 40% between August 2011 and June 2012, while opposition was also down three percentage point from 45% to 42%. So far the issue looks like a non-starter. Nevertheless, it is an issue that does have the potential to sway a large number of conservatives, who normally vote Republican, and, more especially, undecided voters. The problem for president Obama and Mitt Romney is how to frame the argument. In this regard, Romney is at a serious disadvantage. Romney is a member of the Mormon Church, a small but fast-growing and highly unorthodox form of Christianity. Mormonism was founded in the USA, during the first half of the 19th century, by Joseph Smith. Smith claimed to have been visited by an angel who allegedly showed him the location of several gold plates on which was inscribed a religious text that would become known as the Book of Mormon. This would join the Bible as one of the sacred texts of the Church. This, and much else, puts Mormonism well outside of what is normally regarded as Christianity. Romney needs the support of Christian conservatives, composed large of Evangelicals. Support from the Christian Right helped secure victory for George Bush during the 2001 and 2005 elections. Since the Christian Right strongly opposes gay marriage, it is unlikely that Romney will be able to endorse it or even will be able to address the issue in a relatively neutral position. His main issue will be presenting himself as a mainstream Christian conservative, even as details of Mormonism emerge. Obama, on the other hand, may well be able to pick up a large percentage of Americans who have yet to decide who to vote for. This will almost certainly depend on him presenting the issue as one of wanting to keep government out of the most intimate aspect of citizen's private lives. Steve Schmidt, former campaign manager for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, told the Huffington Post in 2010, “There is a strong conservative case to be made in favor of gay marriage." Conservatives, he notes, “are making the case that no more do you want big government conservatives in the bedroom than big government liberals telling you how to live your life." A then recent same-sex marriage fundraiser had been supported by top Republican lawyer Ben Ginsburg, as well as two of the party's major donors: Henry Kravis and Paul Singer. Same-sex marriage, small government, and big liberty have continued to occupy the minds of some Republican Party donors. In the middle of May, 2011, The New York Times reported that the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in the state of New York was receiving the “the bulk of [its] money" from “a group of conservative financiers and wealthy donors to the Republican Party." The issue was, even then, not entirely new for Republicans. In 1977, Ronald Reagan helped defeat a proposed bill to prevent gays and lesbians teaching in California's state schools. At the time only 31 percent opposed the ban, and it looked set to pass. By framing the issue as one of keeping big government out of the lives of citizens, and out of the schools as far as possible, opposition to the bill grew, and it was soon defeated. If Obama really wants to make same-sex marriage a successful election issue he should invoke Reagan, presenting himself not only as a progressive in tune with today's America, but as a man who will always err on the side of caution when it comes to government interference in people's private lives.
