Why John Roberts Upheld Obamacare but Dissented on Gay Marriage
He sides with liberals one day, conservatives the next. What gives?
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On Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts drew fierce conservative fire for upholding Obamacare (again). A hero to political liberals for 24 hours, Roberts seemingly flipped positions on Friday to write the lead dissent opposing the nationwide legalization of gay marriage. What's with this guy?
Actually, his opinions in the marquee cases of the 2014-2015 Supreme Court term aren't difficult to reconcile. Agree or disagree with Roberts on the merits, one can easily discern an essentially restrained jurist concerned with promoting the machinery of democracy and the reputation of the highest court in the land.