Posted on 10/21/2014 8:11:17 AM PDT by e-gadfly
The Supreme Court’s recent decision not to take up challenges to state amendments banning same-sex marriage has had two significant effects – it has expanded marriage to 30 states and reignited the political conversation around marriage equality in the 2014 midterms. Since 2011, I have worked with Project Right Side to help Republican leaders navigate a radically changing electorate on the freedom to marry. While public acceptance of marriage equality has steadily increased, this moment may ultimately be looked upon as the point where Republican opposition to marriage equality began to fall in earnest.
According to a recent poll of Republicans I conducted on behalf of Project Right Side, for every Republican that said they have become more opposed to same-sex marriage over the last five years, two have become more supportive of it. In fact, in just the last three years alone, there has been an eleven point increase in Republican support for marriage rights for same-sex couples; and a seven point drop in those opposed to legal recognition.
More congressional Republicans support marriage equality, eight in total, than ever before. And this year alone, there are ten Republican candidates, five challengers, and five incumbents that support the freedom to marry.
Monica Wehby, the Republican Senate candidate in Oregon, is prominently running an ad featuring the endorsement of a gay man saying “she’ll fight for every Oregon family, including mine.” At 51 years old, Wehby stands on the Republican fault line for marriage support. Republican opposition to marriage equality is heavily concentrated among those older than 50 whereas a majority (52 percent) of Republicans under 50 support same sex marriage. Among even younger Republican voters, those under 30, support for marriage equality stands at 61 percent.
The Republican nominee in the Massachusetts race for Governor, Charlie Baker, describes being gay as “no big deal” in an ad featuring his gay, married brother. Baker’s experience is emblematic of the key driver of growing support for marriage equality: knowing a gay person. According to a recent Marist poll, Americans who personally know someone who is gay are two times more likely to support marriage equality. And CBS polling shows that Americans are much more likely to know a gay person now (69 percent) than they were in 1993 (19 percent).
Clearly, the electoral math around the marriage issue is changing dramatically; while it formerly energized conservative opponents it is now doing more to motivate Democratic supporters. Using data from a Project Right Side Election Night survey of battleground states in 2012, I’ve estimated that support for marriage equality netted Obama nearly 250,000 votes on Election Day in battleground states (he won those states by 504,422 votes). Without those votes Obama’s winning margin would have been razor thin.
What’s encouraging is that these polling trends are leading many Republicans to rightly take action in advance of 2016. The Nevada Republican Party proactively removed language from their party platform on gay marriage. A recent Project Right Side poll that surveyed Nevada Republicans tested this change and found that a strong majority (61 percent) supported the party’s removal of opposition to same-sex marriage from their platform; only 32 percent oppose it.
So what does this all mean for the forthcoming presidential campaign cycle? Karl Rove speculated that it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the Republican Party will witness in 2016 a presidential candidate who supports same-sex marriage. One marriage supporter, Senator Rob Portman from Ohio, has even expressed interest in exploring a bid, and evidence exists that his stance would not be a hindrance in key presidential primary states.
In surveys I’ve conducted among early state Republicans, there is a real willingness to embrace the freedom to marry. Among New Hampshire and Nevada Republicans there is actually plurality support for marriage rights. And while Iowa and South Carolina are not yet net supporters of the freedom to marry, my research shows that there is still robust support for LGBT friendly messaging and policies: 51 percent of Iowa Republicans agree that “the government should stay out of the private lives of adults, including gays and lesbians,” while 74 percent of South Carolina Republicans strongly agree that “we should all follow the Golden Rule and treat others as we would like to be treated, including gays and lesbians.”
While a good deal of work remains to be done among Republicans, the last few years have seen enormous progress. The freedom to marry movement stands at an historic moment in time and it’s clear that Republican officials in Washington and candidates on the campaign trail are poised to play a major role in gaining greater acceptance for same-sex marriage.
Oh, Wagglebee...out from under the rocks...
Go ahead and keep talking to yourselves. I’ve got work to do. It’s been 17 years and the only thing that FreeRepublic has done is made a nice living for Jim Robinson. I don’t begrudge that, but please don’t pretend to be something you’re all not. I’m out of here.
Hildy, you were put in to office by TEA types. Either dance with the people that brung you or step down.
I'm not even sure what that means.
I'm still curious, have you EVER opposed abortion or same-sex "marriage"?
This is why I say that FR is infiltrated with leftists. They switch teams and run at the first sign that they have to fight.
Sorry I ever fought my Eds for you Hildy.
Once in office they all surrender.
This one sure did. Because she uses to be real anti establishment/Good old boy network. I live 30 miles from her.
Went native.
My personal experience, not validate anywhere except my small circle, is that there are some people who are advocates, some people who are adamant detractors...but the vast majority just don't giva sh!t.
But when you apply the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the subject, the detractors are the majority.
Folks don't cotton to be compelled to offer services to homos if they have religious reasons to avoid it. Nor are they willing to compel others.
Yes, any state who offers to Marry a hetero couple will be forced to Marry a homo couple.
The ruling will be a result of the 14th Amendment.
Right or wrong.
Absent a Constitutional Amendment, this is essentially a done deal.
You are truly pathetic.
I don’t begrudge that, but please don’t pretend to be something you’re all not. I’m out of here.
Are you REALLY leaving this time? Seven years ago you said that FR was a big "circle jerk" and left, but then you came back for some reason.
Funny that around 7 years ago she began her drive to elected office.
It’s lonely and unpopular to stand on principle. No matter what they say people are social creatures and want to be “accepted” so they surrender to the bullies.
Your negativity should be focused on the leftist scum polluting this once great country and not on the good folks on FR who have not given up. If you yourself have given up, you can go to hell for all I care.
It’s true that no man is an island. The trouble is, most would rather be sheep.
One need only look on political blogs to see how far what was the political right was has fallen. People posting anon can’t even stand behind that shield and uphold principle, much less put their names to their beliefs.
Not that I hold anything against anon posters. I do not blame anyone for being cautious today where one post can get you gestapoed. But my point is they don’t stand boldly behind conservative principle because they simply don’t believe in them. Much less be willing to put their name to it.
Give up?!
I'm not aware that Hildy was EVER on the same side as the rest of us. She might be a loyal Republican, but that's about it.
I/our paper used to cover events she spoke at and even events she initiated. At one point, she was by all indications, TEA. She got a lot of grief locally in this Republican area for it. Rocked the boat quite a bit.
But power corrupts. Perhaps even the thought of it. Regardless. Today tells the truth.
Did you pay the child a living wage for doing that chart?
You point is well taken. If that is the case, then why does she come here other than to be a troll?
Reminds me of a video I saw about "gaslighting". Forget the guy's name though. He used the movie "Gaslight" to describe the current political scene. He opined that what we're being told isn't true and we know they're lying but they keep saying it and we eventually buy it. We believe them instead of our lying eyes.
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