Newt Gingrich has come out in support of an amendment to the state constitution in North Carolina that would make marriage between a man and a woman the, “only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State."
Will Mitt Romney do so as well? We haven’t heard from him on this issue. North Carolinians go to the polls May 8 on this issue.
Here’s the exact language that voters will see on the ballot:
"Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State."
Gingrich’s video message to the voters of North Carolina can be seen here. As for Romney, influential pro-family leader Gary Bauer thinks Romney needs to get out in front of this issue. On an upcoming Brody File show he tells us the following:
“The sort of consensus among Republican elites is that this election is about three things: the economy, the economy, and the economy. And certainly, it will be. The President has failed to give us the economic growth that he said that he would give us. He put us deeper in debt, his policies to raise taxes will probably hurt economic growth.
That being said, there’s no substitute for the kind of coalition that Ronald Reagan put together. Yes, you want to promote economic conservatism. Lower taxes, smaller government. But, you also want to have a strong foreign policy. And you also, very importantly, want to highlight the differences in value between the President and Mitt Romney.
Dave, let me give you one example. Mitt Romney is ahead of Barack Obama in the state of North Carolina, in the latest polling, by only two points. That’s scary. Or, it certainly should be if you’re Mitt Romney. North Carolina is a must win. But the marriage amendment that’s going to be on the ballot in a couple of weeks in North Carolina is getting over 60 percent of the vote.
So, I would say to Governor Romney, if you want to carry states like North Carolina, which you absolutely have to carry, it’s to your advantage to emphasize not only the economy, but also the values issues like traditional marriage and the sanctity of life.”
Unless Romney is asked about this issue, don’t expect him to weigh in. With the Romney campaign, it’s all about staying focused on an economic message. Protecting traditional marriage is important but for the Romney campaign, it could very well be seen as a political rabbit trail.