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Why Republicans Could Have A Pro-Gay Marriage Presidential Candidate In 2016 ZOT!
The Daily Caller ^ | 2014-10-14 | Alex Lundry

Posted on 10/21/2014 8:11:17 AM PDT by e-gadfly

The Supreme Court’s recent decision not to take up challenges to state amendments banning same-sex marriage has had two significant effects – it has expanded marriage to 30 states and reignited the political conversation around marriage equality in the 2014 midterms. Since 2011, I have worked with Project Right Side to help Republican leaders navigate a radically changing electorate on the freedom to marry. While public acceptance of marriage equality has steadily increased, this moment may ultimately be looked upon as the point where Republican opposition to marriage equality began to fall in earnest.

According to a recent poll of Republicans I conducted on behalf of Project Right Side, for every Republican that said they have become more opposed to same-sex marriage over the last five years, two have become more supportive of it. In fact, in just the last three years alone, there has been an eleven point increase in Republican support for marriage rights for same-sex couples; and a seven point drop in those opposed to legal recognition.

More congressional Republicans support marriage equality, eight in total, than ever before. And this year alone, there are ten Republican candidates, five challengers, and five incumbents that support the freedom to marry.

Monica Wehby, the Republican Senate candidate in Oregon, is prominently running an ad featuring the endorsement of a gay man saying “she’ll fight for every Oregon family, including mine.” At 51 years old, Wehby stands on the Republican fault line for marriage support. Republican opposition to marriage equality is heavily concentrated among those older than 50 whereas a majority (52 percent) of Republicans under 50 support same sex marriage. Among even younger Republican voters, those under 30, support for marriage equality stands at 61 percent.

The Republican nominee in the Massachusetts race for Governor, Charlie Baker, describes being gay as “no big deal” in an ad featuring his gay, married brother. Baker’s experience is emblematic of the key driver of growing support for marriage equality: knowing a gay person. According to a recent Marist poll, Americans who personally know someone who is gay are two times more likely to support marriage equality. And CBS polling shows that Americans are much more likely to know a gay person now (69 percent) than they were in 1993 (19 percent).

Clearly, the electoral math around the marriage issue is changing dramatically; while it formerly energized conservative opponents it is now doing more to motivate Democratic supporters. Using data from a Project Right Side Election Night survey of battleground states in 2012, I’ve estimated that support for marriage equality netted Obama nearly 250,000 votes on Election Day in battleground states (he won those states by 504,422 votes). Without those votes Obama’s winning margin would have been razor thin.

What’s encouraging is that these polling trends are leading many Republicans to rightly take action in advance of 2016. The Nevada Republican Party proactively removed language from their party platform on gay marriage. A recent Project Right Side poll that surveyed Nevada Republicans tested this change and found that a strong majority (61 percent) supported the party’s removal of opposition to same-sex marriage from their platform; only 32 percent oppose it.

So what does this all mean for the forthcoming presidential campaign cycle? Karl Rove speculated that it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the Republican Party will witness in 2016 a presidential candidate who supports same-sex marriage. One marriage supporter, Senator Rob Portman from Ohio, has even expressed interest in exploring a bid, and evidence exists that his stance would not be a hindrance in key presidential primary states.

In surveys I’ve conducted among early state Republicans, there is a real willingness to embrace the freedom to marry. Among New Hampshire and Nevada Republicans there is actually plurality support for marriage rights. And while Iowa and South Carolina are not yet net supporters of the freedom to marry, my research shows that there is still robust support for LGBT friendly messaging and policies: 51 percent of Iowa Republicans agree that “the government should stay out of the private lives of adults, including gays and lesbians,” while 74 percent of South Carolina Republicans strongly agree that “we should all follow the Golden Rule and treat others as we would like to be treated, including gays and lesbians.”

While a good deal of work remains to be done among Republicans, the last few years have seen enormous progress. The freedom to marry movement stands at an historic moment in time and it’s clear that Republican officials in Washington and candidates on the campaign trail are poised to play a major role in gaining greater acceptance for same-sex marriage.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016election; gaymarriage; gays; gaytroll; homosexualagenda; marriagequality; queers; repoublicans; sniff; trollindrag; ursulathevk; zot
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To: greene66
If this fight is lost, then America is lost, and no longer worth fighting for. Better to see the whole evil and depraved country go down in flames. I’d even contribute my share of matches to see it happen.

When the Pirates take over the ship, it is better to burn the ship rather than let it fall into their hands.

61 posted on 10/21/2014 9:21:13 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: Hildy

Take heed:

Free Republic is here to defend our Republic and our Constitution and to continue the never-ending fight for the founding principles and our God-given Liberty. We are not going to roll over for the homosexual agenda or the Marxist/fascist ruling class who are trying to “fundamentally transform” America.

No surrender, no retreat!!

Hold the line!!

Our God-given unalienable rights are not subject to debate, negotiation or compromise and that includes our religious freedom and the free exercise thereof!!

Do not give-up your rights to free speech, free religion. Do not give up your guns.

Do not give up on traditional marriage/family. Do not give up on borders. Do not give up on life!!

Do not give up on God or liberty.

God, family, country!!

The fight for liberty burns on in the heart of every man Created by God!!

Give me Liberty or give me death!!


62 posted on 10/21/2014 9:24:57 AM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
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To: e-gadfly

A “Republican” who gives up on God, family, country is no Republican.

No surrender, no retreat!!

Give me liberty or give me death!!


63 posted on 10/21/2014 9:27:40 AM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
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To: e-gadfly
This thread has been spindled, bent, folded, stapled, parindled, and faxed to outer Borneo.
No, you may not have another.

Pulled on 10/21/2014 8:55:14 AM PDT by Ninja Moderator, reason:

Failure to pay applicable troll licensing and spay/neuter fees.


64 posted on 10/21/2014 9:35:23 AM PDT by Darksheare (People who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

You need to learn to read. I said the governors of each sovereign state need to stand up to the the Federal judges who are overturning state laws. FEDERAL JUDGES HAVE NO JURISDICTION OVER SOVEREIGN STATES. The Constitution is very clear on the subject.

In Georgia we do not allow gay marriage. If a Federal judge rules that our law is unconstitutional then its up to our Gov Nathan Deal and our state legislature to ignore that ruling. What are they going to do? Send troops? What troops? They are all in Assaghanistan.

Your problem is that you want to be conservative but you still want the Federal government to settle these states rights issues. The Federal government will never settle these issues to your satisfaction because it is completely controlled by progressives. As long as the Federal govt is deciding the issues abortion and gay marriage will be legal in every state. You will rail agains’t the machine on Free Republic til you die but it will do no good.

Your and my values are not everybody’s values. Do you really think those crazy yankee progressive socialist states are ever going to embrace your values? NO they won’t. The best that can happen is that you vote with your feet and move to a state that reflects your values. Then fight to keep your state from being overruled.


65 posted on 10/21/2014 9:51:32 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: e-gadfly

I will NEVER accept this sexual perversion garbage, period.

These perverts should be shunned back into the closet.

I don’t care how many laws are passed by the fools in this country, there is no way that the sticking of a males penis into another males anus and calling it sex, is ever going to be normal and their so called marriages will never be seen by me as legitimate. These people are sick, sick, sick.

As for biracial marriages, I have no problem with that and I see it as normal....and it damn sure isn’t perverted.

Do you like Gladiator movies?


66 posted on 10/21/2014 9:53:37 AM PDT by Gator113 ( Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin and Mike Lee speak for me, most everyone else is just noise.)
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To: CatherineofAragon

I think this country is so far down the bad road it cannot be saved at the ballot box and we need a full blown revolution. But I hate to post it on the forum. If you know what I mean. :-)

That being said the coming conflict is going to put things back the way they are supposed to be. The states will regain control of their own dealings. Its either that or just give it up and join the collective.


67 posted on 10/21/2014 9:54:15 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: e-gadfly; FReepers
Support FR.
Where else do you get to see stuff like this:

Posted to trolls?

68 posted on 10/21/2014 10:03:15 AM PDT by Darksheare (People who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Jim Robinson

Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Sir Winston Churchill, Speech, 1941, Harrow School


69 posted on 10/21/2014 10:08:08 AM PDT by mc5cents ("Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God." - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Jim Robinson

I have been a member of FR for almost 17 years. The Country has gone so downhill we cannot hardly keep track. So tell me, Jim, what have been our successes as a Conservative group except to bitch and moan about everything. I actually ran for office and am trying to do things, so don’t you dare paint me as unamerican or a freedom hater. I am not advocating for gay marriage or a abortion, I am stating the facts. my State, AZ just made gay marriage legal last week. Our Conservative AG is not going to fight it because, in his words, we have “Zero percent chance of getting it overturned” We have lost the battle and all your yelling and screaming and censorship will not change those facts.


70 posted on 10/21/2014 10:12:57 AM PDT by Hildy
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To: Hildy

You have freepmail.


71 posted on 10/21/2014 10:14:58 AM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
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To: CatherineofAragon

“The Supreme Court’s recent decision not to take up challenges to state amendments banning same-sex marriage has had two significant effects – it has expanded marriage to 30 states and reignited the political conversation around marriage equality in the 2014 midterms”

As I have stated ad nauseum the Constitution is very clear that only the SCOTUS has jurisdiction over a sovereign state so this decision by the Supremes IMO opens the door for states to start ignoring these federal rulings and move ahead with their state laws regarding voter ID, and gay marriage bans. Instead of shrugging and buckling under just fight for it.


72 posted on 10/21/2014 10:16:51 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Hildy

By the way, Arizona did no such thing, A black-robed godless federal tyrant overstepped his bounds and overrode the people. Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.

No surrender, no retreat!


73 posted on 10/21/2014 10:18:28 AM PDT by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
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To: e-gadfly; 50mm; darkwing104; Arrowhead1952; Darksheare; TheOldLady; Lady Jag; Chode; shibumi; ...

TAKE THY FAGGOTRY ELSEWHERE, BUT LEAVE THY HEAD AS MY PRIZE!!

BUT THE CARCASS IS MINE (urp)...

74 posted on 10/21/2014 10:20:47 AM PDT by Old Sarge (TINVOWOOT: There Is No Voting Our Way Out Of This)
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To: Jim Robinson

This is why our side will never win. We do not understand politics. their side does and as they steamroll over us, all I can. Think of is our children will pay the price for our cowardice.. YES.. Cowardice.


75 posted on 10/21/2014 10:22:31 AM PDT by Hildy
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To: Hildy; Jim Robinson; wagglebee
I am not advocating for gay marriage or a abortion...

You are not advocating AGAINST gay marriages or abortion either. You have moved on. You figure conservatives have lost the battle on those issues so no need to "bitch and moan about everything".

Hildy - if this is how you truly feel, then you should leave FR. You are useless as a conservative.

76 posted on 10/21/2014 10:23:30 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: e-gadfly

Way to lose another election


77 posted on 10/21/2014 10:26:42 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: e-gadfly

Another No matter what thread filled with cheshires demanding compromise and abandonment of principle. Some day I may well ride lightning. But I was right about the infiltration and the existence of the ‘cheshire/Freeper left.

And this thread proves it.


78 posted on 10/21/2014 10:29:16 AM PDT by Norm Lenhart ("Refusing to vote against unprincipled people made Obama President. " - agere_contra)
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To: Hildy

The GOP can “move on” without us conservatives then.


79 posted on 10/21/2014 10:31:11 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Hildy

“We lost this battle, just get in the boxcar you Christian!”


80 posted on 10/21/2014 10:32:35 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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