No doubt the Democratic presidential hopefuls are taking a big step by participating tonight’s gay forum, but will it take a big bite out of their voting base?
While some argue that gay rights are no longer the most destructive Culture War weapon, Politico points out that broad support may hinge on three swing states:
…New data show that in the key Electoral College states the endorsement of gay rights groups hurts a candidate much more than it helps.
Quinnipiac University polls of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania — the big three Electoral College swing states — found voters by large margins more likely to see the endorsement of a gay rights group as a reason to vote against, rather than for, a candidate.
34% of voters in Ohio say they’d be less likely to vote for a pro-gay candidate, 28% in Florida said “less likely,” and the same amount of Pennsylvanians also said they’d be less likely to vote for a gay-loving contender. A majority of voters in all three states also call queerness “morally wrong”. What a surprise!
Dorian
Good As You raised a good point, though, when they said that the voters who would be swayed by whether a candidate endorsed gay rights likely heavily overlap with those who wouldn’t be voting for the Democrats in the first place, so those percentages aren’t as damning as they seem.
gayqueer
The candidates wouldn’t be participating in tonight’s “debate” if they thought it would hurt their chances of becoming President. They aren’t that progressive. Except for Kucinich of course, who remains the only candidate to support gay marriage without compromise. Sadly, he’ll never win the election…..