Gay marriage and Alabama

A week from today Alabama voters will head to the polls for primary elections. Also on the ballot is a constitutional referendum that would ban same-sex marriage in the state. A couple of observations are in order:

1. Both houses of the Alabama state Legislature are controlled by Democrats. Otherwise the gay marriage vote would have come during the general election. That's been the case in other states. And each time Republicans have benefited (and Democrats have been harmed) by the anti-gay marriage turnout.

2. More than a year ago, gubernatorial candidate Roy Moore's challenge to Republican incumbent Bob Riley appeared more formidable. It's easy to see how back then more than a few Democrats, including some who control the statehouse, saw the gay marriage vote as a way to draw out supporters of the Ten Commandments judge (and the gay marriage ban) who could sink Riley in the primary. With Riley out of the way for the general election, a Democrat could run as a moderate against the more extreme views of Moore.

3. A Moore victory appears unlikely. Riley has a large lead in the polls.

4. It's not like gay couples have been demanded marriage licenses at county courthouses around the state. In fact, there's been little discussion of the matter so far.

5. While it's been quiet so far, most of the ugliness in Alabama campaigns comes late. It's a safe bet that a few Republican judges will be smeared in the same-sex marriage fliers that are bound to circulate. These judges are moderate only in comparison with their right-wing foes who are followers of Moore.

6. Finally, Alabama already has a law that bans same-sex marriage and keeps the state from recognizing homosexual marriages performed in other states. It appears the push is a way to stir up the base and distract it from real-world problems like tax equity, sparse social services and failing schools. That's the real shame of this exercise.