Show Gay marriage vote serves only to divide Ronals Los Angeles Times limes vanity not politics politics politics poli poli- tics President Kennedy once snapped at an aide who wanted him to provoke a confrontation with Congress on an issue Kennedy knew he didn't have havethe havethe havethe the votes to pass Times change dont don't they Now many people in Washington DC D.C. believe the essence of politics is provoking confrontations over issues that have little chance of becoming law but a high probability of dividing the country Exhibit A is this weeks week's planned Senate vote on a proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed constitutional amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment to prohibit gay marriage No one doubts d the th outcome outcome Proposed constitutional amendments require a two- two thirds majority 67 votes to clear the Senate When the Senate last considered the gay marriage ban in July 2004 supporters mustered only 48 votes on a procedural test The backers might do better this time but they are unlikely to get close to the votes they need One big reason is that supporters haven't built a clear majority for the momentous step of amending the Constitution In surveys most Americans say they oppose legal recognition for gay mar mar- But many appear comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- allowing the states which traditionally have regulated regulated regulated regu regu- marriage to handle the issue In the latest Gallup Poll 50 percent said they supported a constitutional ban on gay marriage 47 percent opposed it Nine other Gallup surveys since 2003 have produced similar similar similar sim sim- ilar results But like so much else in contemporary politics the Senate vote isn't designed to produce a law its it's intended to pick a fight The White House and Senate GOP leadership are betting that a noisy confrontation tion over gay marriage will encourage turnout this November from conservative voters many of whom polls show have grown discouraged over President Bushs Bush's second term That strategy might help Republicans in some red states this year But it could deepen the image of intolerance hurting hurting hurting hurt hurt- ing the GOP in many whiten white- white n collar suburbs outside the South Both parties might pay a term long-term price if manufactured manufactured manufactured cultural clashes such as asi i the gay marriage amendment continue to control the spot spot- light Few Americans consider gay marriage one of the country's country's country's coun coun- try's most serious moral chal chal- lenges By elevating it so prominently this weeks week's debate probably will deepen the sense that Washington is fixated on the preoccupations of ideological cal minorities while slighting most Americans' Americans practical day- day to-day to concerns That danger is captured in a national survey due to be released Monday by the liberal Center for American Progress Nearly three-quarters three of people polled said they prayed at least once a day and just over half said they attended religious services at least once a week Concern that the country has lost its moral compass was widespread The survey demonstrated again that the moral issues people people people peo peo- worry about most in their daily lives are very different from the ones dominating political debate The survey asked Americans to name the most serious moral crisis in America today Atop the list 28 percent cited kids not raised with the right values Next e t came corruption o in n go government gov and nd business business- followed by greed and materialism people people people peo peo- too focused on themselves and too much sex and violence in the media Only 3 percent named abortion and homosexuality homosexuality homosexuality as the nations nation's top moral challenge Even among those who attend religious services most often just 6 percent picked abortion and These findings challenge the values agenda of both parties par par- ties There is a deep hunger to get away from religion being associated solely with the antiabortion and gay anti-gay marriage marriage marriage mar mar- agenda there is a deep public yearning for an alternative alternative alternative tive moral vision said John Halpin a senior fellow and opinion analyst at the American Progress center But its it's not just talking about the lefts left's issues and tagging the word moral on it You have to talk to people at a personal and family level about what faith and values mean Government can do more to support parents who feel they are competing with a rapacious rapacious rapacious rapa rapa- cious marketplace to shape their childrens children's values One example The day after the Senate rejected the gay marriage amendment in 2004 it gave broad bipartisan approval to legislation that would empower the Food and Drug Administration to regulate regulate regulate regu regu- late tobacco That idea died when the House said no Senators from both parties are pushing the tobacco issue again Surely a Senate leadership leadership leadership leader leader- ship that has time for a symbolic symbol symbol- ic statement about gay marriage marriage marriage mar mar- could find a moment to help parents fight the tangible problem of teen smoking Washington might support parents in many other ways But as Halpin suggests Americans probably arent aren't looking to Washington for programs programs programs pro pro- grams so much as evidence that it understands the cultural forces pressuring communities and families Its It's difficult to see how the Senate sends that signal by squandering its time on a choreographed argument over gay marriage staged for no higher purpose than dividing the country |