After several prospective Republican presidential candidates were asked whether they would personally attend a gay wedding, Jon Stewart spent Tuesday night’s episode of the “The Daily Show” reviewing their answers.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), for his part, expressed his annoyance at the question, telling rightwing radio host Hugh Hewitt that the media tries to turn the issue “into a battle of emotions and personalities.”
“Exactly, emotion and personalities have no place in a discussion about marriage,” Stewart said. “Marriage is an abstract principle that exists on a theoretical plane and has no impact on actual people — as God intended.”
Still, it was only one presidential election ago that GOP candidates were being grilled on whether they would support a constitutional ban on marriage, Stewart noted. Now, Republicans must “engage the question” of gay marriage as a real phenomenon that’s on the rise.
“Here’s how far this issue has moved: some of the most conservatively credentialed candidates are at least going to the reception!” Stewart said, referencing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who said he had been to a reception before.
Others, Stewart found, had not attempted to move with the times at all since the least election cycle. Rick Santorum told Hewitt he would not attend a wedding between two gay people he knew and loved.
“Uh no, I would not. I would love them and support them. I would not participate in that ceremony.”
“I know you don’t want to redefine ‘marriage,’ but it does appear you want to redefine the words ‘love and support,'” Stewart said.
Watch the clip, courtesy of Comedy Central:
