Poll: Gay Marriage Is Big Voter Issue

[windansea]

WASHINGTON - Gay marriage is a more powerful social issue for voters than either abortion or gun control, a new poll suggests.

Four in 10 voters say they would not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them on gay marriage, even if they agree with the candidate on most other issues, according to a poll released Friday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Only a third in the poll, 34 percent, felt they would not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them on abortion even if they agree on other issues and 32 percent who felt that way about a candidate who disagrees with them on gun control.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=548&e=3&u=/ap/20040227/ap_on_el_ge/gay_marriage_voters

[corporatewhore]

1. well i think bush has already got the homophobe vote and we should stop

trying to pander to bigots

[windansea]

12. who is pandering? n/t

[POed_Ex_Repub]

2. Shrub can't win on his record so he's relying on wedge issues

What a leader eh?

[windansea]

3. anyone know what percentage of USA

population is gay??

[arcos]

4. 4-7%...

but the data is highly unreliable...

[David Dunham]

13. less than 1%

[AntiCoup2K4]

15. Where did you get that number??

Less than 1%?? On what planet?

[arwalden]

20. The 1% Figure Is From Some "Study" (Largely Discredited)

that did nothing to preserve the anonymity of the subject being surveyed... further it was taken at a time when America was even MORE hostile to Queer Americans than now.

So in reality, the 1% you hear quoted so often means that BACK THEN, only 1% was willing to openly admit and confide their sexuality to a stranger with a clipboard and a pen.

In other words... it's BULLSHIT. But I think you knew that already. :hi: I was just elaborating.

-- Allen

[BootinUp]

17. I think its higher

I base that on the commercial recognition of gays. TV shows, advertisments etc that are either geared or at least friendly to gays. So I think the 4-7% number is very believable.

[DjTj]

5. It is the new abortion...

...when calling voters, it used to be that I had the longest conversations trying to make pro-life people vote Dem, but now it's trying to reassure the anti-gay marriage people...

[AlinPA]

6. Must be a poll down down south. Why the hell can't they just live and

let live? I'm sick of the rPIGs making an issue of gays and lesbians.

[incapsulated]

7. If you look at the details of the poll

 
 
This is the most important statistic: 25% of Democrats and 24% of Independents say they would not vote for a candidate who was in favor of gay marriage. Republicans doubled that at 50%.

http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=204

 
 

[BootinUp]

18. I don't think that is accurate

People don't always answer poll questions the same way, their opinions change depending on how the question is asked or in what context.

[Imajika]

8. This confirms exactly what I have been saying...

Like it or not, wedge issue or no, this gay marriage story is going to help Bush. Bush's position is very clear, Americans will now identify him as being against gay marriage. Kerry, and many other Democrats positions are unclear, and many Americans will believe they basically support it.

Kerry's position is untenable. He says he is against gay marriage, yet he voted against the DOMA. I don't believe Kerry is really against gay marriage, and the public won't believe it either.

The American public is just not ready for this. Force it on them before they are ready, defy the obvious will of the people in the way that is happening in California, and a terrible backlash very well may occur.

This is just not a good issue for Democrats this year.

As I've said dozens of times, I am supporter of gay marriage, but some wrongs can not be corrected overnight. No good will come of what is happening now.

Imajika

[windansea]

9. correct....MA court and SF mayor kinda

put it on the table

[incapsulated]

10. New Paltz, NY, too

I think there may be several more cities/towns that might jump on board with this to bring the issue to the courts.

[windansea]

11. yes..I heard about a place in AZ or somewhere

else that's going to start doing it too

[Leilani]

22. I agree

I think Bush put this wedge issue out there, The activists went nuts with it, & the Dems will be the losers in the long run.

[David Dunham]

16. Jobs is the key issue. Bush's amendment isn't a pocketbook issue.

Dems should focus on the outsourcing of jobs. Marriage is a state issue.

[IndianaGreen]

25. The American public was not ready for desegregation either!

The American public is just not ready for this. Force it on them before they are ready...

Neither the American public nor President Kennedy were ready for desegregation when Bull Connor unleashed his dogs on civil rights marchers. Kennedy had his brother authorize FBI wiretaps of Martin Luther King, so fearful were they of civil unrest.

If we had to wait for the public to be ready for anything, we would still have slavery!

[David Dunham]

14. Jobs is the controlling issue, not gay marriage

In the end, people will vote their pocketbooks. Also most people will realize that amending the constitution is bad.

[windansea]

19. that amendment talk is just a feint

red meat for the base...they won't push for amendment (that was #21 out of 22 issues) in this or some other poll

[John_H]

24. Bingo. They just want everyone to talk about it. Which is why

dems should demand a vote tomorrow.

[John_H]

21. Dems can stop it in three days.

Using the only tactic that works with media whores-calling them on their shilling real time on air. All they gotta say is this:

"We've all stated our position a hundred times and it hasn't changed. Look (media whore du jour), you may want to help Bush start a culture war for political gain, but I don't. You may want to help him avoid being held accountable for jobs yada yada yada..."

Embarrass enough of them on air with a united front while simultaneously using it as a springboard to attack their fearless leader, and they'll shed it faster than a freeper sheds tooth enamel

[windansea]

23. freep dental providers

mutual fund...:yourock:

[tedoll78]

26. I actually agree with CNN's Bill Schneider.

He recommends that our candidate use the Republican Senators against the amendment as a protective shield. There are so many GOP senators who still won't vote for the amendment, and appearing to be in-line with them could make our candidate look more "moderate."

That having been said, I really think that the voters obsessed with this issue aren't going to vote Democratic anyway.