Republicans Run From Prop. 8 Ruling

Surprisingly little noise emanated from the Republican camp following the ruling that overturned Proposition 8, and party leaders concerned about their midterm election prospects feel perfectly comfortable with the silence.

Politico analyzes how the Republican establishment and, to some extent, Democrats want to avoid talking about same-sex marriage because they fear alienating independent voters and straying from the overarching issue of the economy. The marriage equality issue continues to motivate the liberal and conservative bases of both parties, but this season those voters already are energized over the new health care reform law and immigration.

“Instead, the anticipated GOP bang over the ban — known as Proposition 8 — amounted to little more than a whimper,” reports Politico. “There were angry columns and cries of protest from right-wing groups and conservative writers, but the majority of the Republican establishment kept on a bread-and-butter message — and party leaders are encouraging them not to stray.”

Read the full article here.