Mike Huckabee Has More To Say On Gay Marriage

The debate over same-sex marriage is one of those golden issues capable of revealing the best and worst in people — seriously, just talk to someone who has an opposing viewpoint on gay rights — but we're all largely familiar with some politicians' view on the topic. Cue potential Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee saying SCOTUS "cannot overrule God" on same-sex marriage, further cementing my view that the former Arkansas governor would have had flourished in an 18th century society.

The nine Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments on same-sex marriage on Tuesday, highlighting their differences in how they viewed American values and tradition, as well as democracy, the constitution and the role of the judiciary. On Wednesday, Huckabee chimed in on the debate as he addressed the crowd of Hispanic evangelicals at the National Hispanic Christian Leadership (NHCL) Conference:

I respect the courts, but the Supreme Court is only that — the supreme of the courts. It is not the supreme being. It cannot overrule God. When it comes to prayer, when it comes to life, and when it comes to the sanctity of marriage, the court cannot change what God has created.

In light of the latest controversy involving businesses and their claim to a "religious freedom" right in denying service to gay people and gay couples, Huckabee said that Christian business owners were being "criminalized" for their choices to effectively discriminate gay people. According to CNN, Huckabee also hinted that he was the man to lead the fight against the backlash to "religious freedom" laws that most recently landed Indiana state's GOP-dominated government in trouble::

Somebody's got to be willing to take on the institutions that challenge and threaten our ability to believe as we believe, because when religious liberty is lost, all liberty is lost.

Huckabee's views on same-sex marriage is not new Earlier this year, as the Supreme Court announced that it would take up the same-sex marriage case, Huckabee questioned the "notion of judicial supremacy," saying that no matter what SCOTUS decides on the issue, states would have final say over whether they can ban same-sex marriage or not. He has also compared homosexuality to drinking and swearing — an uninspired departure from his 2013 comparison of homosexuality to polygamy and prostitution.

His banking on the right-wing Christian vote in the 2008 Republican presidential primary was rewarded as they swept him to the top of the Iowa caucuses, but he ultimately lost the nomination because Republican voters — thankfully — consist of more than evangelicals. His speech at the Wednesday conference comes as he is expected to announce his 2016 bid. Should he announce, Huckabee will find himself competing for votes with other right-wing Republican candidates such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who himself was recently embroiled in a same-sex marriage controversy of a different nature.

NHCLC president Rev. Samuel Rodriguez told CNN that Huckabee was invited to speak partly due to his record of strong appeal toward minority voters. If he runs, Huckabee may face stiff competition for Hispanic votes from another potential GOP candidate Jeb Bush, who is similarly appealing to the community — but significantly less loony. The former governor of Florida and a member of the Bush clan is married to a Mexican woman and frequently touts his family's bi-raciality. Bush also speaks fluent Spanish, which he used to his advantage while appearing at the same conference on Wednesday.

Later, CNN reported that the Baptist pastor-turned politician Huckabee roused some laughter with his speech as he brought up Bush's language skills:

I do not come to you tonight with the ability to speak Spanish. But I do speak a common language: I speak Jesus.

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