A new poll from ABC News/Washington Post shows 58% of American voter support of allowing same-sex couples to legally marry, with only 36% opposed.
Pollsters also asked “Do you think each state should make its own law on whether same-sex marriage is legal or illegal there, or do you think this should be decided for all states on the basis of the U.S. Constitution?”
In all, 64% of respondents said the issue should be decided nationwide—only 33% want it piecemeal, no matter what the President and other politicians say.
“This latest poll underscores America’s dramatic and stunning embrace of the freedom to marry, and says to decision-makers—lawmakers, judges, and even justices—that it is time to end marriage discrimination,” remarked Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “With a super-majority of Americans now supporting the freedom to marry, and majority support in nearly every segment of the public, the freedom to marry’s time has, indeed, come.”
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Here’s how the breakdown for support for marriage equality looks:
- 72% of Democrats
- 62 % of independents
- 71% of moderates
- 81% of those under age 30
- 70% of non-evangelical white Protestants
- 59% of Catholics
- 61% of non-whites
The survey also asked respondents whether they thought being gay was a choice or innate, and only 24% of Americans believe homosexuality as “something people choose to be.”
Check out the full results here.
Dakotahgeo
Wow! So where does that put the conservative Reichwing fundies, the Evangelical blowbacks, and the Southern Baptist/Catholic hierarchies? Pretty doggone quiet… like mot NOMinal others. Couldn’t be happier!
Dakotahgeo
Correction: “… like most* Nominal others.”
Ottoman
The President doesn’t want it “piecemeal” as you put it. Obama’s lawyers will be arguing in the Prop 8 case next week for suspect classification for gays and lesbians in the courts. Suspect classification and the heightened scrutiny that comes with it, would be a federal solution to obtaining marriage equality. It would be the most permanent and decisive solution and would also protect gays and lesbians from any law that might attempt to discriminate against them in the future.
And just like after Loving, if SCOTUS strikes down all gay marriage bans, states will continue deciding who can get married in their jurisdictions. It will be the federal discrimination laws, that SCOTUS declares must include gays and lesbians, that will stop the states from enforcing their gay marriage bans. Obama is playing chess not checkers.
MuscleModelBlog.com
I am wondering what the sample was like for this survey. Was it just people who watch ABC News or read the Washington Post? If so, that would skew results towards being more liberal, wouldn’t it?
Cam
@MuscleModelBlog.com:
No, this is a poll that was commissioned by them, but the polling company uses their own methods, the same ones that are used in a political race etc…
Cam
“62 % of independents”
That is the number that has the GOP terrified, and why they have started to sputter and not knowing what to do. They thought bigotry was a winning issue.
2eo
@Cam: It appears as the oldest generation dies [the most likely to be swing voters] they are not being replaced with people of the same ideals. The parties increasing amalgamation on financial issues and their continuing divide on social issues is causing a lob sided [and deserved] Democract swing.
Most people generally want a better world, and those swing voters who genuinely deferred to the GOP for the economy are now mothballed because of their failures and continued failure in doing anything other than try and cause as much damage to the nation as possible.
The GOP are losing on every single front, and their schizophrenic approach to everything will lead to a massive split in the party.
brent
It would be nice to put this issue to rest so we can deal with the issue of the economy. Problem is democrats will probably put more energy into the global warming nonsense, and drive us crazy with more stories on beastly polar bears.
Caleb in SC
Unfortunately, the federal government cannot regulate marriage at all under the 10th Amendment, which is why DOMA is unconstitutional. The biggest hope we have is that the U.S. Supreme Court finds either a violation of Equal Protection or Full Faith and Credit, and opens the door that way.