Today California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to defend Proposition 8 in court, instead joining Attorney General Jerry Brown, who has argued the state's gay marriage ban violates the US Constitution.
But in overheard conversation, Schwarzenegger gave a more personal reason.
"To me this has nothing to do with gay rights or same-sex anything. Going back 24 years I've been told I should not marry Maria. It can't work. We're too different. But we knew it was right, and we and our children have our love and our happiness that no one can take away.
"So, what if 52% of Kahlifornia thought Maria and I shouldn't be married? Or 99 percent? Would that be enough that we should have to move, or marry someone else, or stay single? It's our life. Fuck those people. It's not their business. Vote me out of office, but don't tell me who I can marry.
"If Maria and I are the only people in the state who think our marriage is right, we're also the only ones whose opinion matters.
"And if that's how we want to be treated, how can we forbid some other couple?"
Schwarzenegger added, "Actually, we also get letters and petitions almost every week asking if there could be a law to forbid James Carville and Mary Matalin from reproducing. And I understand where people are coming from, and they mean well. But it's just none of our business."
UPDATE: Comments suggest this simulation may have been too good. I've removed blockquotes from the intro, so readers aren't too badly misled.