What the Principled Republican is Believing this Week
For how many decades have we been seeing conservatives crusading under the banner that says "State's Rights"? Now, I'm sure that somewhere there are a few who actually are anti-federalist, but for the most part it's a cynical scheme employed in an attempt to derail any federal attempt at doing something distasteful to the politicians who rally in its name. Frequently it's done to delay or scuttle advances in civil rights. It's a popular charade because it sounds so principled and constitutional, thus convincing some gullible democracy-lovers to join the crusade.
How can we tell that it's really not a principled position? Let's see how easily it's dispensed with.
In the early part of this century (i.e., the 21st), many states' voters were suckered by fear-mongering Republicans into voting in favor of referenda and constitutional amendments meant to prohibit marriage equality for same-sex couples. How were such plebiscites on restricting citizens' rights justified? State's rights, of course.
As the argument went, marriage was a concept traditionally and best left to the states to decide–definitely not a federal issue. The states, and the people in the states, should have the power to decide this vitally important issue for themselves without federal meddling. The states, it was said, were the laboratory for experiments in social change, the rightful place for such "radical" ideas to be tested.
At least, this was the "principled" stand for the last decade or more when it seemed a given that Republicans could convince the electorate to restrict the rights of their gay and lesbian citizens in this way.
However, increasing familiarity with the idea of marriage equality for same-sex couples has seen increasing support across the country for marriage equality, to the point that the majority opinion is turning in favor of it. This means, of course, that arguing in favor of "state's rights" and letting each state decide this issue for itself — in the traditional and principled fashion — seems no longer the guaranteed bulwark against progress in civil rights that it was and the "principled" rhetoric has to change if a successful course to delaying this basic civil right to gay and lesbian people is to continue.
The bellwether? Rick Santorum, the principled conservative's conservative. Here he is speaking recently of the vital importance of the principle of state's rights, and the states as essential laboratories for social change:
"We can't have 50 different marriage laws in this country," [Santorum] said. "You have to have one marriage law."
So, maybe not so principled after all. I guess a strong, central government is the new Republican ideal.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of those Republican canards about why and how we can't have marriage equality, I'm sure you're aware of the big kerfuffle about mere [activist] judges deciding that same-sex couples can get married–somehow it's socialism!–or state legislatures suddenly not representing the people if they vote in favor of marriage equality–let the people vote! Because, in addition to thinking that "the people" are the best mob to take rights away gay and lesbian people, "the people" are known to Republicans always to be right. Let the people vote!
"Just because public opinion says something doesn't mean it's right," he said in the NBC interview. "I'm sure there were times in areas of this country when people said blacks were less than human."
Except when they're not, I guess. Who can tell? The principled conservative's conservative can!
And that closing remark in which he feigns never to have known a time when there might be some people in some area of the country who thought black people were less than human. What's that disingenuousness about? I'm sure he could even find some of those people today without trying too hard. I wonder if he's asked the people who come to his rallies?
[Quotations are from Bob Egelko, "Santorum backs nullifying existing gay marriages", 3 March 2012.]
In: All, Current Events, Faaabulosity, Raised Eyebrows Dept.