Getting there by hook or by crook
by digby
Ezra's featuring a graph that shows the huge growth in support for same sex marriage in just the past few years. (Unfortunately, I can't seem to upload the graph, so you'll have to go there to see it.)
Lewis’s estimates, which aggregate many different polls over many years to come up with a fuller picture of public opinion on this issue, show that support for same-sex marriage has increased by 16 points since 2004. The increase has been fastest among Democrats and slowest among Republicans. That means the issue has gotten more polarized, too.
Support varies dramatically between different states, Lewis continues. “My most recent estimates suggest majority support for same-sex marriage in 16 states.” With the exception of Alaska, those 16 states are all safe states for Obama. But Lewis’s latest numbers only go through 2011. “If we figure support has gone up another two points in the last year, that would push Wisconsin, Arizona and Maryland into majority-support territory, and Illinois and Minnesota right on the borderline.”
You can argue that these polls overstate the support gay marriage actually has among voters. After all, it’s a perennial loser at the ballot box. But Lewis notes that the same analysis “showed 35 percent support in North Carolina. And that’s pretty consistent with the vote there.”
What this means is that support for gay marriage is growing rapidly in the blue states, which is good news. It's possible that California and some of the other more liberal states will be able to overturn these constitutional amendments in a fairly short period of time. The others will take longer, but hopefully there will be a more amenable Supreme Court in place at some point that will defy these backward states and codify the right across the nation as they did with Loving vs Virginia.
But it's still going to take some fighting, a battle which the gay community has proven time and again that it is more than capable of waging.
Update: Here's Howie on last night's shenanigans from the House Republicans --- and sadly, some Democrats:
The House passed a gratuitously anti-gay amendment by Kansas' fanatic hate-monger Tim Huelskamp, who is so hung up on gay issues that psychologists just assume he's either gay himself or spending a great deal of time repressing his homosexual desires. His amendment would prohibit the Justice Department from actively opposing DOMA in the courts.
Nancy Pelosi led almost all Democrats in opposition to the GOP ploy. “On an historic day and in the dark of night, House Republicans have voted to tie the hands of the Obama administration with respect to their efforts to end discrimination against America’s families. House Republicans continue to plant their feet firmly on the wrong side of history.”
But, depending on how you define "Democrat," not every "Democrat" agreed with her. The viciously homophobic Blue Dog caucus-- and a few of their fellow travelers-- hid behind Cantor's skirts and voted with the Republicans. The amendment passed 245-171, all but 7 Republicans vote with the hatemongers.
Sixteen anti-LGBT "Democrats" voted with the Republicans:
John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA)
Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA)
Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK)
Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY)
Jerry Costello (IL)
Mark Critz (PA)
Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
Tim Holden (Blue Dog-PA)
Larry Kissell (Blue Dog-NC)
Dan Lipinski (IL)
Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT)
Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog-NC)
Colin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN)
Nick Rahall (WV)
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR)
Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC)
If you'd like to replace some notorious homophobes in congress, here's a Blue America page where you can do just that.
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