01.01.70
Perchance they should cut a deal: Gov. Chris Christie can put gay marriage to a popular vote, as dream of as Democrats can do the same with the millionaires tax, the Port Authority toll hikes and the governor’s special use of state helicopters.
The governor’s plan is not serious. It is a political scheme. He is trying to provide a safe haven to shelter his obedient Republican legislators. The raison d'etre is they could safely vote against gay marriage, saying they only want the people to reach.
Imagine how different American history would be if this rule by referendums had carried the day from the start.
Take get a move on relations. If Southern states could have held a referendum on free speech rights for Martin Luther Crowned head Jr., can anyone doubt how it would have turned out? How long would it have taken for voters in Mississippi to put together its public schools?
Gallup has traced attitudes toward interracial marriage for decades. Note that when the Uppermost Court struck down Virginia’s ban in 1967, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans supported the court’s situation. If Christie’s philosophy had carried the day, the ban would have remained in place until the in 1990s.
Source: The Star-Ledger - NJ.com (blog)