Mitt Romney Signs “Traditional Marriage” Pledge

Mitt Romney typically isn’t seen as part of the social conservative wing of the GOP, but he’s signed a pledge put forward by the nation’s leading opponents of same-sex marriage where he pledges to work against marriage equality on a variety of levels:

Former Gov. Mitt Romney has joined Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Sen. Rick Santorum in signing a pledge to oppose same-sex marriage on a number of specific fronts.

The three candidates signed the pledge advanced by the National Organization for Marriage, which has led national and state campaigns to limit marriage to a man and a woman. The signature of the frontrunner, Romney, is a bit of a coup for the group, as he’s been careful about committing to other pledges, including a broad promise to a socially conservative Iowa group that caused trouble for other candidates.

Romney, Bachmann, and Santorum signed on to supporting a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage, to appoint federal judges who don’t see a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and to back the Defense of Marriage Act.

They’ve also pledged to support offering a referendum on marriage in the District of Columbia, and to establish a “presidential commission on religious liberty” aimed at protecting the rights of marriage foes to speak out.

A Republican like Romney might actually have a decent chance to beat Barack Obama in 2012 if they keep their message focused on the economy, the size of government, and the President’s generally inability to project any leadership ability. Going down the road of pandering to the social conservatives just means alienating the young and independent voters that might be receptive to a message based on the economy. The fact that even Romney finds it necessary to pander to these people is, I think, a demonstration of just how far down the road the GOP has traveled on these issues. Eventually, they are likely to find themselves standing on that road all alone.

 

FILED UNDER: 2012 Election, US Politics, , , , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Rick Almeida says:

    Romney panders. This development is shocking.

  2. Bleev K says:

    What a shock, another republican who doesn’t like freedom.

  3. James in LA says:

    Good thing he did it in a vacuum where no one is recording everything he says. This isn’t the Old Days, Mittens. See: Macaca. And most pols over 40 have no clue about how the modern the world actually works, and by their very nature, CANNOT know. It would kill them to know it. It unseated King Bubbuh of the Clintonark. We all vetted Sarah Palin Labor Day Weekend 2008 because lord knows no one else had.

    It ends up sounding like so much whining over being left behind. This pledge is but one more serving.

  4. An Interested Party says:

    Good ‘ole Mitt…ever the flip-flopper…at this rate, the Obama team will be able to paint him as a far bigger flip-flopper than the Bush team painted Kerry in 2004…

  5. Catfish says:

    I thought Republicans wanted less government – now they are wanting an amendment?
    Why not leave this to the states – let the people there decide.

  6. anjin-san says:

    Is there a database somewhere that tracks all the loyalty oaths and pledges that one must sign on to in order to be a freedom loving conservative?