Governor Chris Christie began his response to the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling by saying he agreed with Chief Justice Roberts but quickly turned to the idea there’s nothing he plans to do about it:
That being said, those five lawyers get to impose it under our system and so our job is going to be to support the law of the land. And that under the Supreme Court’s ruling is now the law of the land, but I don’t agree with the way it’s been done. But I take an oath and the same way I’ve supported and enforced the law here in New Jersey since our Supreme Court made their 7-0 decision on same-sex marriage and I’ve supported and endorsed that law, I would have to do the same across the country. But I want to be clear, I don’t agree with the way it was done. But it’s been done and those of us who take an oath have a responsibility to abide by that oath.
Christie later returned to that sacred oath meme, opposing conscience protections for marriage clerks, thundering: “You took the job and you took the oath. . .you have to do it.” (Yeah, the Supreme Court Justices also took an oath, buddy. Try standing up for the little guy?)
He made it worse when he started bragging about how he would appoint “Christie type judges.” Ouch! Christie’s judicial appointments in New Jersey were terrible. Either he didn’t care or he couldn’t discern. Or he traded away judges for something else he needed in N.J. politics. Any which way, not good for gay marriage dissenters.
I still remember with admiration when Chris Christie vetoed gay marriage in N.J., as he promised to do in his campaign, to the astonishment of the local media. But this time he’s not promising much; don’t expect more from Christie than his explicit promise which amounts to appointing “Christie-type judges.” Chris Christie: Pretty conservative for a New Jersey governor.
You can see ThePulse2016.com’s full gay marriage report card here.
Maggie Gallagher is a senior fellow at American Principles in Action.
