David Urban, a Republican strategist, CNN commentator, and senior adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, wrote an op-ed accusing Democrats of fear-mongering by suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the 2015 ruling. Obergefell v. Hodges The decision to legalize same-sex marriage.
in him USA Today In his op-ed, Urban accuses “bipartisan liberals” of trying to “instill fear and discontent” by suggesting the Supreme Court could overturn its own precedent and invalidate its 2015 decision. The move would immediately reinstate bans on same-sex marriage, which are still on the books in 32 states.
Urban is particularly focused on comments made by former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during an August television appearance. angry moderates Podcast hosted by Fox News’ Jessica Tarloff and entrepreneur Scott Galloway. In that interview, Clinton said she believed the high court challenge would eventually be heard. Obergefell “And they will do to same-sex marriage what they did to abortion and send abortion back to the states.”
“Anyone in the LGBTQ community who enters into a committed relationship should consider getting married, because I don’t think they would cancel existing marriages, but I do worry that they would cancel states’ rights,” Clinton said.
Mr. Urban accused Mr. Clinton of “spreading fear that has no basis in law or politics,” and argued that courts will ultimately allow same-sex marriage to remain legal. He cites polling and argues that most Republicans have lost the appetite to challenge marriage rights.
he pointed to investigation More than three in five Americans (61%) agree that same-sex couples should have the right to marry, with 15% remaining neutral, according to the Centerline America Republican Poll. When respondents were asked to make a choice, support rose to 72%, a number that Urban highlighted in an editorial.
Urban also noted that 55% of Republicans approve of the Respect for Marriage Act. When forced to choose, 56% said same-sex couples should have the right to marry, but when not forced to choose, 40% and 17% remained neutral. He added that 63% of respondents believe a Republican can support marriage equality and still be a Republican.
Notably, Mr. Urban omits a Gallup poll from earlier this year that tells a different story. The survey found that only a minority of Republicans support same-sex marriage rights, part of a continued decline in support for the party over the past several years.
Mr. Urban also acknowledged President Trump’s refusal to continue the fight over same-sex marriage, arguing that President Trump’s recognition of the validity of same-sex marriage is considered important in conservative circles. He also praised President Trump and the Republican Party for removing language opposing same-sex marriage from the party’s 2024 platform.
“Americans, especially Republicans, have moved on,” Urban wrote, arguing that the fight over marriage equality is effectively over. “Simply put, there is no appetite among voters or Republican leaders to reverse the policy.” Obergefell. …The left should save its energy for arguments that have real consequences. ”
Urban then points to the appeal of the ruling, which former Kentucky county official Kim Davis and her legal team have announced their intention to challenge. Obergefellhe dismisses it completely. But the Davis lawsuit is not seen as a strong tool to overturn Obergefell Overall. Rather, it is likely to test the limits of religious exemptions for public officials who oppose same-sex marriage on moral grounds.
Mr. Urban alludes to future legal battles over religious freedom, similar to the one Mr. Davis is currently fighting, but largely ignores the potential harm such lawsuits could cause and the potential for creating additional hurdles for same-sex couples looking to marry.
At the end of his op-ed, he accused Democrats of “creating fears of disenfranchisement” and argued that “laws and culture are moving in the opposite direction.”
“[F]Ears work. Fear attracts money. “Fear continues to make Americans angry, divided, and distrustful,” he wrote, accusing Democrats of exploiting the issue for political gain.
“If you keep saying the sky is falling, people will eventually stop listening,” he writes. “Marriage equality is not in jeopardy. If it changed, Americans on the left, center, and right would defend it.”
“The purpose of Mr. Urban’s article was not to assure LGBTQ+ people that marriage equality is safe, but to attack the Democratic Party for bringing it up in the first place,” they wrote. LGBTQ nation In evaluating Urban’s argument.
Moreover, if the Gallup poll is more reliable than the Centerline America poll, it would suggest that support for same-sex marriage is actually declining among Republicans, a trend Urban does not acknowledge.
He also overlooks that several Republican-led legislatures have passed resolutions asking the Supreme Court to overturn it. Obergefell. Even Republicans who once supported marriage equality, like Rep. Nancy Mace (R.C.), have shown they are willing to abandon those principles when it becomes politically expedient.
So if Mr. Urban is wrong, the debate over same-sex marriage may not be as settled as he suggests.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
