The political potency of the marriage issue was demonstrated when Rep. Rick Boucher, a liberal Democrat from southwestern Virginia, voted for the Marriage Protection Act. Boucher has a lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 15 and is normally a reliable liberal vote on social issues even though this puts him at odds with his constituency. This year, however, Boucher faces a strong challenger in former NASCAR executive Kevin Triplett (R.). With Triplett having a good chance to win in November, Boucher could not afford to vote with his party against marriage last week.
