Will the Norfolk Gay Marriage Case Affect the Governor's Race?

In tonight's televised debate between GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli - a radical Christofascist of the first order - and Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe, McAuliffe made a point to hit on Cuccinelli's extreme positions on social issues, including gay rights and a "personhood" initiative which would outlaw all abortions and many current forms of contraception.    Among other things, McAulliffe stated that Cuccinelli had called gays "soulless and self-destructive human beings."  In typical Christofascist form - meaning that he blatantly lied since, apparently "godly Christians" are exempt from the Commandment against lying - Cuccinelli claimed that McAuliffe's statement was false.  Here's a highlight from the Virginian Pilot that basically substantiates McAuliffe's position:

Cuccinelli denounced the quote about gays that McAuliffe had attributed to him as "offensively false." But at a 2008 Family Foundation event, Cuccinelli, then a state senator, was quoted as saying, "When you look at the homosexual agenda, I cannot support something that I believe brings nothing but self-destruction, not only physically but of their soul."

The debate aside, perhaps more pressing for Cuccinelli is the reality that he will soon have to file briefs in the case of Bostic, et al, pending in the Norfolk Division of the U.S. Eastern  District of Virginia.  As the blog Northen Virginia Lawyer notes, the schedule is as follows:

Initial summary judgment motions from all parties are due September 30, 2013.

Response briefs are due October 24, 2013.

Final reply briefs are due October 31, 2013.

The election is November 5, 2013

AG Cuccinelli's office, on behalf of the Commonwealth will have to file major briefs 36 days, 12 days, and 5 days before the gubernatorial election.  October is the most critical time of the election season.  Cuccinelli will be held accountable for every word in these briefs.

 

Cuccinelli's masters at The Family Foundation, a hate group in all but formal designation, will no doubt expect and demand that Cuccinelli file a brief that thoroughly condemns both gays and the "homosexual agenda."   That said, one would think that Cuccinelli ought to realize that McAuliffe and the news media will jump all over whatever statements and arguments Cuccinelli puts forth to justify the stigmatization of gays and their relegation to an inferior form of citizenship in Virginia.  I for one will be logging on to my Pacer account to pull copies of Cuccinelli's filing just as soon as they are available.  Northern Virginia Lawyer sums up the situation well:

Whether Cuccinelli wants to, or not, he will be the face of the opposition to gay marriage.  . . . . Any attempt by Cuccinelli to avoid discussion of social issues will be easily brought back to the issue du jour in Virginia, which will be gay marriage. 

Terry McAuliffe does not need to focus on the issue of gay marriage.  He simply needs to state his support (which he has) and allow debate moderators, and or the media to force Cuccinelli to repeatedly discuss his dogged defense of the Marshall-Newman amendment.  

Make no mistake, Ken Cuccinelli is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, but winning statewide office in Virginia requires him to focus on something more than a divisive social issue. 

The nature and timing of this lawsuit may very well be the reason McAuliffe wins in November.

Once the media is a buzz about Cuccinelli's anti-gay extremism, it is an easy step to his similarly extreme views on abortion, contraception and "personhood."  Cuccinelli has tried to claim that McAuliffe has made this issues a high priority in this election cycle, but once Cuccinelli files his briefs against gay equality, the media will fan the flames with no assistance from McAuliffe.  I for one hope that Cuccinelli twists on his own rope.  The Family Foundation made Cuccinelli the GOP nominee and The Family Foundation may end up being the cause of his defeat in the general election in November.