On this weekend’s broadcast of “The McLaughlin Group,” conservative commentator Pat Buchanan, author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?” explained why President Barack Obama’s recently evolved stance on same-sex marriage isn’t the political positive that some have made it out to be.
The former MSNBC contributor told “The McLaughlin Group” host John McLaughlin that Obama’s announcement did two things for conservatives: It made reelection for some Democrats more difficult, and it energized social conservatives and evangelicals for Romney, where he had an enthusiasm deficit.
“Well, the congressional races is rural Democrats, conservative Democrats and others — take Claire McCaskill, take Jon Tester in Montana, take Tim Kaine in Virginia — will have to run away from the platform, John,” Buchanan said. “I don’t know these are going to do that, but what Barack Obama has done is put his presidency at real risk. He has instantly solved the biggest problem Mitt Romney had, which is how to energize and rally the social conservatives and the evangelicals. They are now singing ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ and riding to the sounds of the guns on this issue, John. They’re really out and they’re energized, John.”
Buchanan pointed out that voters in North Carolina last week passed a ballot initiative banning gay marriage, and he reminded viewers that Iowans threw some judges out of office over the same issue.
“But take a look what happened — North Carolina, Obama carried it,” he continued. “Sixty-one percent of the vote in a record primary turnout voted for the ban on gay marriage and civil unions. You got Iowa out there, OK? Judges imposed it on Iowa. The Iowa voters threw the judges out. You got 30 states, John, who — and the point of it is it’s going to rally Obama’s base, there’s no doubt about it. The gay rights groups, the militants and others are contributing money, the George Clooney crowd. But John, again — I think he’s put his presidency in peril.”