Rachel Maddow questioned the logic of the Republican Party's reluctance to support marriage equality in a segment of her show Tuesday.
Since the Supreme Court's historic ruling in June, which struck down a key part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the momentum of marriage equality in America has dramatically increased. With Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie signing the state's marriage equality bill into law yesterday, 15 states and Washington, D.C., now recognize same-sex marriage -- with Illinois soon to follow.
Yet the GOP, including its front-runners for the 2016 presidential nomination, refuses to budge on the issue despite the fact that numerous polls now show public opinion has shifted to support marriage equality in all 50 states. "As public opinion goes, this is a public opinion train that has left the station," Maddow said Tuesday after listing poll results highlighting several demographics favoring marriage equality.
Maddow questioned how any Republican politician could hope to be a contender for national office when they are clearly out of touch with most of America.
"The country has really made its decision on equal rights for gay people, including on marriage," Maddow said. "If national Republican hopefuls don't see the polling [on this issue], don't see which way this is going, there will certainly be national competing national candidates who do see. And they will win while these guys lose."
