Originally posted on Newsworks

I’ve drawn Chris Christie a lot as Superman. After all, isn’t he the guy who flew into Trenton promising to rid us of public corruption, property taxes and to fight against an oppressive government for the will of the people?

Well, by vetoing a same-sex marriage bill that a majority of New Jerseyans supported, Christie has proven who the true leaders are – Republican party officials that hate the whiff of anything gay.

“Same-sex couples in a civil union deserve the very same rights and benefits enjoyed by married couples – as well as the strict enforcement of those rights and benefits.” That’s what Christie had the audacity to say after vetoing a law that would have granted just that.

You see, once again it all comes down to religion. Well, sort-of. Christie won’t support gay marriage because he believes it’s a sacred institution between one man and one woman – or in Newt Gingrich’s case, one man and one woman at a time.

But Christie is willing to buck his religion when it comes to labeling homosexuality as a sin, telling Piers Morgan in a 2011 interview that he believed people are born with a predisposition to be homosexual.

“It’s very difficult to say then that that’s a sin,” Christie said. “But I understand that my church says that. But for me personally, I don’ t look upon someone who is homosexual as a sinner.”

So, if Christie is able to disagree with his church, and supports giving same-sex couples the very same rights, what’s the problem?

Politics.

For the governor who proclaims himself a bold leader in front of cameras every five minutes, he’s been forced into a corner by knuckle-dragging Republicans who think contraception is bad, rich people are overtaxed and yes – that homosexuals shouldn’t marry.

All this is despite the fact that a clear majority of Americans disagree with all three of those things. Way to position your party for the future – no wonder you’re known as the Grand Old Party.

Christie is a smart guy. He’s bright enough to realize that in order to run for president in 2016, he needs the support of these backwards theocrats who hate Sharia Law, but want to force all Americans to pledge their allegiance to Jesus and the burning bush.

But you can’t call it leadership. You can’t even call it gutsy. It’s simply Christie kissing the ring. Christie is no Superman, he’s simply Clark Kent. And a weak one at that.

Rob Tornoe is a political cartoonist and a WHYY contributor. See more of his work at RobTornoe.com, and follow him on Twitter @RobTornoe.