President Bush will almost certainly stay out of the way of the controversy between now and the GOP convention. It would appear opportunistic if he scheduled a fireworks display in St. Louis to celebrate Tuesday's vote. By the same token, John Kerry is not going to look for an early opportunity to denounce the voters of Missouri as reactionaries who believe that Adam and Eve set an important precedent.
The divide in the thinking on the question by contemporary Americans was adroitly formulated by a reflective campaign manager for gay marriage. Jeff Wunrow said he was busy digesting what had happened. "The only thing I think I've learned is to be careful about trusting your instincts. I learned that I don't think I inherently know much about average voters in Missouri. Every message I thought made sense didn't resonate. I guess what it says is that seven out of 10 people here think they know better how I should live my life than I do."
The voters of Missouri aren't saying that. They are seeking to reinforce two traditions, one social, one political. They are defending an institution that is incoherent if attempted -- in the same name -- by persons of the same sex. That, and the tradition that certain matters are decided not by courts but by political bodies. Leaving the question to the individual states to decide is a broad acknowledgment of political divisions of authority, and is not to be taken as "gay bashing."
Here Mr. Bush could say something correct and conciliatory. He does not have far to go in his intimate political family to affirm the individual rights of one of his vice president's children, who leads life as a lesbian, and whose rights must be protected. But this is not to endorse the inherent dissimulation that "marriage" between two members of the same sex attempts. It is unlikely that candidate John Kerry will publicly dispute the vote in Missouri.