Same-Sex Marriage Issue Is Going to Be Decided by the States

[Denny Crane]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...sue_is_going_to_be_decided_by_the_states.html

By Michael Barone

One of the few issues on which opinion has moved left over the last few years is same-sex marriage. In 1996, Gallup found that Americans opposed it by a 68 percent to 27 percent margin. Last May, Gallup found Americans in favor by 53 percent to 45 percent. That's a huge change in 15 years.

...

The problem for Republican politicians is not that opposition to same-sex marriage antagonizes gay voters. According to exit polls in the last three presidential elections, gays and lesbians made up just 3 percent of the electorate, and they were one of the few groups that voted for John McCain in 2008 in larger numbers than had voted for George W. Bush in 2004.

The Republicans' problem is young voters. Huge majorities of them favor same-sex marriage, and for most of them it's simply a no-brainer. They must have been turned off if they were watching the Republican presidential candidates vie with each other in opposing it in the Fox News-Washington Examiner debate in Iowa.

The constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that they supported is never going to get a two-thirds vote in Congress or be ratified by three-quarters of state legislatures. Unless the Supreme Court rules there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, this is an issue that is going to be decided by the states.

Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that it would weaken the institution of the family. Certainly there are problems there: Rising percentages of children are raised by one parent or none, and nearly 50 percent of teenage children in non-college households did not live with both parents. Yet outcomes for children raised in two-parent families are far better than for those who are not.

But as one who favors same-sex marriage for reasons set out in Jonathan Rauch's 2004 book "Gay Marriage," I think the institution of the family is less threatened by a few people who want to get married than by the very many more people who get divorced or who have children without getting married at all.

 

[maxiep]

I really wish government would get out of the marriage issue altogether. Only religious institutions should be able to confer marriage. The government should be involved in civil unions only, and shouldn't discriminate. Any group of two or more consenting adults that wish to make themselves a union should be allowed to do so. A man and a woman, two men, two women, a man and two or more women, a woman and two or more men, whatever.

It's no one else's business who chooses to join their lives together.

 

[Denny Crane]

The article isn't about gay marriage in that sense. It's about how republicans lose younger and independent voters over their stance on the issue. It hurt Obama, too, since he doesn't favor it. Republicans actually gained in the gay vote.

 

[julius]

I really wish government would get out of the marriage issue altogether. Only religious institutions should be able to confer marriage. The government should be involved in civil unions only, and shouldn't discriminate. Any group of two or more consenting adults that wish to make themselves a union should be allowed to do so. A man and a woman, two men, two women, a man and two or more women, a woman and two or more men, whatever.

It's no one else's business who chooses to join their lives together.

agreed. I think if it's between two consenting adults (said because I know some might say 'what about a man and a child? what about a man and a dog!!!'), it really shouldn't matter.

btw, shouldn't the government have more important things to deal with then this?

I totally agree with this:

But as one who favors same-sex marriage for reasons set out in Jonathan Rauch's 2004 book "Gay Marriage," I think the institution of the family is less threatened by a few people who want to get married than by the very many more people who get divorced or who have children without getting married at all.

Although I don't think having children out of wedlock is the worst thing, I do think not being responsible for yourself and children you have is far worse then two dudes getting married and having kids or two women getting married and having kids.

 

[Natebishop3]

Personally I think they should outlaw marriage entirely.... monogamy is evil, we should be spreading our seed!