Gay Marriage Gains Ground Among Insiders. 84% of Dems say support it. 56% of GOP say avoid it.

[jefferson_dem]

Gay Marriage Gains Ground Among Insiders
By James A. Barnes and Peter Bell
July 7, 2011 | 9:33 AM | 3 Comments

Democratic political operatives overwhelmingly say the time has come for gay marriage, while a majority of Republicans now believe they should just avoid this issue, according to this week's National Journal Political Insiders Poll. Both positions represent significant gains for gay marriage compared to two years ago, when the same question was asked in the wake of the Iowa Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

After New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed through a gay marriage law in the Empire State last month there is now very little reluctance among Democratic Insiders to see their party embrace the idea.

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At the same time, less than a third of the Republican Insiders think their party should oppose gay marriage, a position that's been enshrined in the party's national platform.

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Many Democrats believe that gay marriage is not only "the right thing to do," but that it is also no longer a wedge issue that cripples the party. "The country is moving quickly toward acceptance of gay marriage," observed one Democratic Insider. "There is no need to hang back and expect civil unions to provide cover."

Democrats also felt that support for gay marriage would solidify the party's grip on younger voters. "It's this generation's civil rights movement," exclaimed one Democratic Insider. "It's a huge demographic opportunity for Democrats because almost every voter under 30 supports it," said another."

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http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/07/gay-marriage-ga.php

[yardwork]

1. Now we need to move on to securing other rights to protect gay people, notably ENDA.