As the U.S. Supreme Court waded into the debate over gay marriage this week, one story line was prominent: the skyrocketing support for gay marriage across the U.S. The turnaround in public opinion has truly been remarkable. Back in 2004, strategists for then-President George W. Bush tried to use state […] Read more »
Heard through the Marble
Yesterday, I attended oral argument in the Supreme Court’s Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) case. This was particularly exciting for me, as I have argued in my research that concerns about the Court’s public perception and legitimacy, particularly in the context of intense public interest, may be consequential for the […] Read more »
Shifts on same-sex marriage come from surprising groups
It’s not just Democrats and liberals who are the reason for the shift on gay marriage. Beneath the broad support from liberal-leaning demographic groups, is the fact that some of the biggest shifts in favor of gay marriage since 2004 have been from some more unlikely, conservative-leaning blocs — blue-collar […] Read more »
If the US held a referendum today, gay marriage would win
Much hangs on how the nine US supreme court justices rule later this year on the two same-sex marriage cases they’ve heard this week, but if given the chance would Americans vote in favor of marriage equality? Would they have done so last year, or, more importantly, today? I think […] Read more »
Americans Secretly Oppose Gay Marriage
If you’ve struggled to find humor in politics recently, rejoice. At least the skewed-polls people are still around. Yesterday, Chris Stirewalt blogged for Fox News that polls overstate support for gay marriage. Voicing a similar belief, leading social conservative Gary Bauer showed little concern over public opinion, telling Fox’s Chris […] Read more »
No, a Sweeping Gay Marriage Ruling Won’t Trigger a Backlash
… For all the fervor around the issue, many supporters worry that a blanket declaration of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage would create a backlash, turning Americans against the cause. … In fact, there is now a good deal of research on how the public reacts to Court decisions, […] Read more »