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PI: New Poll Finds Americans Support Same Sex Marriage
The PI.com picks up on an ABC/Wahington Post
poll that show 53 percent support for gay marriage.
PI writer Joel Connelly adds some local context:
Here's some more context: Washington State Republicans definitely appear to be on the losing side of this issue. A poll on Don't Ask Don't Tell (remember that) last October in the final weeks of the Murray/Rossi race—which found 60-24 support for repeal—put Rossi in a terrible light and cemented local opinion that the GOP is mean spirited on the issue. (Rossi would not support repeal.)
U.S. Rep. Dave Riechert has figured it out (sort of; he voted against DADT repeal last May before signing off on it in December.)
It's time for the rest of the GOP to figure this out. I'd argue that reason John Koster lost in his nail biter with U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA, 2) was that despite a terrible season for incumbent Democrats, voters couldn't get past Koster's hardline social conservative baggage —his campaign was run by virulent gay-marriage opponent, Larry Stickney (campaign manager for Protect Marriage Washington, which fought 2009′s domestic-partnership initiative.)
I brought this up at a post-election Republican forum I spoke at in December, and the GOP consultant on the panel disagreed with me.
PI writer Joel Connelly adds some local context:
Washington lawmakers are split on the issue. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., are cosponsors of legislation to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Murray voted for the law, which denies federal recognition and benefits to same-sex unions.
Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, R-Wash., is one of 94 House Republicans cosponsoring legislation defending the act and demanding that the Obama administration defend it in court.
Here's some more context: Washington State Republicans definitely appear to be on the losing side of this issue. A poll on Don't Ask Don't Tell (remember that) last October in the final weeks of the Murray/Rossi race—which found 60-24 support for repeal—put Rossi in a terrible light and cemented local opinion that the GOP is mean spirited on the issue. (Rossi would not support repeal.)
U.S. Rep. Dave Riechert has figured it out (sort of; he voted against DADT repeal last May before signing off on it in December.)
It's time for the rest of the GOP to figure this out. I'd argue that reason John Koster lost in his nail biter with U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA, 2) was that despite a terrible season for incumbent Democrats, voters couldn't get past Koster's hardline social conservative baggage —his campaign was run by virulent gay-marriage opponent, Larry Stickney (campaign manager for Protect Marriage Washington, which fought 2009′s domestic-partnership initiative.)
I brought this up at a post-election Republican forum I spoke at in December, and the GOP consultant on the panel disagreed with me.
