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04 Dec 2008 12:58 pm

Gay Marriage And The GOP

In so many ways, it's a very small issue, directly affecting only 2 to 3 percent of the population. But the gay issue really is becoming a defining catalyst for Republicanism in many ways. New polling on Prop 8 reveals the kind of political coalition that focusing on same-sex marriage has created for the GOP:

• Evangelical or born-again Christians (85%) were far more likely than others (42%) to vote yes.
• Three in four Republicans (77%) voted yes, two in three Democrats (65%) voted no, and independents were more closely divided (52% yes, 48% no).
• Supporters of Republican presidential candidate John McCain were far more likely than those who backed President-elect Barack Obama to vote yes (85% vs. 30%).
• Latinos (61%) were more likely than whites (50%) to vote yes; and 57 percent of Latinos, Asians, and blacks combined voted yes. (Samples sizes for Asians and blacks are too small to report separately.)
• Voters without a college degree (62%) were far more likely than college graduates (43%) to vote yes.

The trouble for the GOP is that this is one of very few issues on which Asians, Latinos and blacks vote for them. But it reinforces the identity of the party as primarily that of white, less educated fundamentalist voters. I've no doubt there's a place for such a party in American politics. I also have little doubt it will never be a majority.

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