Chris “Opposing Marriage Equality Isn’t Opposing Gay Rights” Christie just sent the clearest signal that he’s a serious GOP presidential candidate: he went on the attack against the DOMA ruling. On his radio program, Christie said that the ruling smacked of that old conservative straw man, “judicial activism.”
“It’s just another example of judicial supremacy rather than having the government run by the people we actually vote for,” Christie said on his monthly radio show. “I thought it was a bad decision.”
Not content to leave bad enough alone, Christie then went on to complain that the ruling made people who oppose marriage equality look bad.
“I thought that Justice (Anthony) Kennedy’s opinion in many respects was incredibly insulting to those people, 340-some members of Congress who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, and Bill Clinton,” Christie said. “They basically said the only reason to pass that bill was to demean people.”
Well, yes, they did. Because it does.
Also, it’s hard to say that Bill Clinton or the bill’s main sponsor, former Rep. Bob Barr, are insulted by the decision. They both had called for the law to be struck down.
What Christie seems to be doing is searching for some issue that will get him back in the good graces of the party’s right wing, whose support he will need but who distrust him for being too moderate. His comments are not the comments of a moderate.
Christie said that the ruling doesn’t affect New Jersey. But right now Christie may be the biggest roadblock to marriage equality in his state. New Jersey has the highest level of support for marriage equality among the states where it isn’t yet legal, but Christie vetoed the marriage equality measure there last year. Given that he looks to be on the road to an easy re-election, it may be a while before the Garden State catches up with the rest of the Northeast.
Harley
Huh??? He is upset because the Supreme Court, doing their duty, protected a minority group from tyranny from the majority by overturning an act voted on by that same majority, but then turns around and VETOs a bill in New Jersey passed by a majority in state government. Am I missing something here?
QJ201
Take my governor please…just not to the white house.
This is also the same man that cut planned parenthood funding…but is now pushing to spend 24million to have a special election in October to replace our recently departed senator…instead of just having it on election day.
tommyz
If he is – he is pretty dumb. Think about it. The next election won’t go to a Republican more than likely. So we are talking 5 years out. Look at demographics – the young support gay marriage and equality by a wide margin. If he was thinking clearly about the future and public opinion – he’d be FOR equal rights – not against. Poor political thinking – the guy should talk to his demographics people.
Cam
Soooo….the Supreme Court was insulting Congress by gutting DOMA but it was doing something wonderful to gut the Voting Rights Act?
Could these republicans just admit, they don’t care about the Constitution, America, or actual facts.
If Christie thinks being a bigot is the way to win the White House he may want to look at the last 2 Presidential elections or talk to McCain and Romney
EricNYCity
he should have gotten his mouth stapled instead of his stomach!
Caleb in SC
Christie is an a-hole. He vetoed the marriage equality act in NJ because he didn’t want “so few people” in the state house to decide the issue for the entire state, yet one person — Christie himself — did decide the issue for the entire state.
1EqualityUSA
I cannot believe that facebook twerp is donating to this guy. Zuckerberg is an ass too.
jwrappaport
Someone clearly hasn’t seen the Schoolhouse Rock episode about the separation of powers.
dvlaries
He is working to regain cred with the base, many of whom he lost when those post-Sandy bromance pictures of him and Barry were making the rounds. Not every calculating opportunist is a politician but every politician is a calculating opportunist.
Caliban
No, Christie opposes the DOMA decision because he’s a fat-assed piece of shit who’d best serve humanity by being roasted on a spit with an apple in his mouth!
If he has such “respect” for legislative bodies, then why did he, ONE “man,” veto the marriage equality decision of the legislature of his own state? Because he’s a hypocritical asshole, that’s why.
1EqualityUSA
Hate and bigotry will no longer guarantee votes. #5 comment is priceless.
Michael
If that’s the best the GOP can throw at us, then bring it on. Hillary will destroy him.
1EqualityUSA
Michael, Reporters to Chris Christie: Sir, What Foreign Affairs experience have you had? “Ugh, Taco Bell, Jaques en le Box, Olive Garden, and, ugh, Panda Express.
gppm1103
Another conservative idiot. He is not opposed to “judicial activism” when it comes to things like Citizens United but gays are not on the same level as corporations…
What a fat douche.
tardis
Yet another person milking the gays to get his career ahead. Jezus. We’re talking about 3% of the American population. This is your platform? Gay marriage? And they wonder why the conservative party is dwindling.
Teleny
He is a bigoted fat pig
Kieran
Why shouldn’t people in New Jersey get to vote on whether to allow morbidly obese people to get married? Afterall, the Bible has listed gluttony as a Sin for over 2,000 years.
Whup-Ass Master
@Kieran: hearted, and thank you.
Actually I think we in NJ should call his bluff and put gay marriage on the special ballot for senator this fall. Not that I think matters of civil rights should ever put up to popular vote (that’s what the courts are for…duh), but it would likely pass.
I can see NJ and IL being numbers 14 and 15 by year-end. Both hugely populous states.
Spike
Funny his take the SCOTUS decision was an insult to Congress because they found legislation they passed to be unconstitutional. Apparently he doesn’t understand how our three branches of Govt. work, and specifically, the judicial.
Lets hope he keeps talking like this and runs in 2016. The more extreme and crazy the potential candidates are on marriage equality, abortion, rape, immigration, the better the GOP debates will be we all saw how that worked out for Democrats in the last election.
Raquel Santiago
This is why we have checks and balances in our government, due to the stupidity that runs rampant.
Kangol
He’s a monster, and America, I’d say you could have him, but Lord help us all if he gets any further than Trenton (with or without being ferried around in a limo or a helicopter!).
The mainstream media, many conservadems and the money people in the GOP love this guy because he’s a populist on some issues, and because’s he’s strongly anti-union. But he does not have a good record on many issues, and his anti-LGBT stand is particularly bad.
He also is now rejecting Medicare expansion (his new anti-Obamacare push), and previously went after the teachers’ unions, attempted to gut Rutgers University (including destroying its board of Trustees), canned support for the badly needed tunnel under the Hudson (which would have brought thousands of jobs), and on and on. He was US Attorney under George W. Bush, and didn’t make it out of that job without the taint of scandal attached to him.
But the media and many wealthy Republicans just can’t get enough of this loudmouth bully, so they’re going to try to foist him on us.
Dionte
He will lose.