It’s not an issue that establishment Republicans are eager to drag into the spotlight. On the national level, the party is increasingly reluctant to focus on social issues, especially after the 2012 debacle over Todd Akin’s rape comments and as polling continues to show a majority of Americans support same-sex marriage.
A recent CNN/ORC International survey indicates that 57% of Americans think gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to get married.
Off the table or on?
Some Republican strategists say quietly that a decision could bring some finality and take the issue off the table well before the election, while others say it could reignite the debate.
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Still, while conservative candidates are more vocal about standing on principle, strategists say it’s not as likely that they’ll start a war over same-sex marriage in the face of issues involving the economy, terrorism, and health care — especially when the tide has rolled in favor of same-sex marriage at such a rapid pace in the last couple of years.
“It’s not 2004. Gay marriage is not going to determine outcome of presidential election like it did in Ohio,” said GOP strategist Tara Setmayer, referring to the surge of Republicans who showed up to the polls to approve same-sex marriage bans in nearly a dozen states a decade ago. The turn-out helped tip the scales for George W. Bush’s re-election.
“The issue may come up in the primary, but I don’t think anyone wants this to be the hallmark of this campaign,” she said.
