Pakaluk said Bush’s stance might force Democrats into the uncomfortable position of having to support same-sex marriage.

“Democratic candidates, such as Kerry, will probably be forced into taking an unpopular position,” he said.

Harvard College Democrats President Andrew J. Frank ’05 said backlash from the announcement could hurt Bush.

“It’s going to smack of bigotry,” he said. “It’s just going to highlight how faithfully he panders to the right-wing.”

The College Dems board and legislative committee issued a statement last night denouncing the proposed amendment as a “cynical attack on millions of Americans for political gain.”

The Harvard Republican Club (HRC), however, is reluctant to take an official position on the issue, according to spokesperson Lauren K. Truesdell ’06, who cited a conflict between states’ rights on the one hand, and conservative social values, on the other.

She said the issue would not affect HRC’s support for the president.

“In the campaign, we’re going to focus on issues that unite us, not those that divide us,” she said.

Mansfield said that this issue would be overshadowed by Iraq in the upcoming election, but speculated that it might have some marginal benefit for the Republican party.

“It seems to show that the Democrats or liberals are unwilling to seek their goals through elections and legislatures, and try to do so either by wrenching the law or violating it,” he said.

For their part, the College Dems and the BGLTSA said they would be carefully watching how the issue develops. If the amendment were ever put to a vote in the state legislature they would campaign against it.

—Staff writer Nathaniel A. Smith can be reached at nsmith@fas.harvard.edu.