Karl Rove: GOP Presidential Candidate Could Come Out for Gay Marriage in 2016

March 24th, 2013 12:23 PM

Former President Bush adviser Karl Rove said something Sunday that is guaranteed to raise a lot of eyebrows on both sides of the aisle.

When asked by ABC This Week host George Stephanopoulos if he could imagine a Republican candidate in the next presidential cycle coming out for gay marriage, Rove answered, "I could" (video follows with transcript and commentary):

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: Karl Rove, can you imagine in the next presidential campaign a Republican candidate saying flat out “I'm for gay marriage?”

KARL ROVE: I could. But you know what, just, let's stay here for a moment. One of the interesting things to me is going to be, you’ve talked about Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy. I'm interested in Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

STEPHANOPOULOS: How come?

ROVE: Well, she’s had comments in the past about Roe v. Wade, which Peggy [Noonan] mentioned, that said in essence went too far.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Went too far, too fast.

ROVE: Too far, too fast. And we should, maybe should not have imposed one national view from the court. And what we may see is a decision here that in essence has not a 5-4 decision, but a 6-3, 7-2, that says leave it up to the states. In fact, we could see an 8-1.

Do you agree?