Will "same-sex marriage" be an issue in the next election??

[kentuck]

Or have most Americans (the majority) accepted it and moved on?

There is no doubt but that opinions changed dramatically on the issue within the last 5 or 6 years. Even President Obama was not supportive until VP Biden came out for the issue in a speech - which at the time was considered somewhat of a blunder, because the President was on a different page.

The hands of time march on...

[brooklynite]

1. Not as a pro/anti issue...

...but the social conservative Republicans will play up "deeply held religious belief" opt-out provisions.

[kentuck]

2. Good point.

"Jesus is our Friend", they say...

[-none]

3. I'm not understanding the problem here anyway.

Marriage is a legal contract. Don't think so, the try to get divorced without the legal system getting involved.
Most, if not all same sex couples getting married, have been living together already for many years. Some for 50 to 60 years.
What changes? The addition of a legal status, making it simpler to make medical decisions for each other, tax advantage and other advantages married heterosexual couple have enjoyed for centuries.
I can see the religious objecting to the living together before marriage part, but that is not what their problem is here.
It is the marriage itself. The legal contract that upsets then, as if that can somehow affect anyone else?
Something's wrong here and it's not the marriage part.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. The Millenial generation is bigger than the boomers, and they're reaching voting age.

This is driving the drastic sea change on a number of issues-- witness just 11 years ago when Karl Rove was using "traditional marriage" as a wedge against Democrats, and our people were falling all over each other to "defend" it.

Hardly profiles in courage as, as you've noted, they've lined up to change their tune once the polls told them it was okay.

Will it be an issue? Yes, as yet another area where we can distinguish ourselves from the retrograde, fundamentalist, "culture in crisis" moral panic crowd that has taken over the base of the GOP.

Another issue is marijuana legalization that, like marriage equality, is rapidly trending in the "support" direction, again driven in large part by Millennials.

Our leaders would be wise to get out in front of that one, too.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

5. Yes

If the SCOTUS rules against Obergefell v. Hodges, and says marriage is a purely state by state decision, then advocates of legal SSM will be motivated to vote for someone who will replace Bader- Ginsburg, Scalia & Kennedy (the next three presumptive SCOTUS picks) with justices that would be more receptive to marriage equality.


If the SCOTUS rules fully or partially for Obergefell v. Hodges, and says either that marriage equality is the law of the land, or that states can marry whomever they choose, but must recognize other state's marriages, then advocates of traditional marriage will be motivated to vote for someone who will replace Bader- Ginsburg, Scalia & Kennedy (the next three presumptive SCOTUS picks) with wingnuts. It will be framed as a "states rights" and "activist judge" issue.

Either way, it will be an issue.

[LanternWaste]

6. I hope so. With six in ten Americans supporting it...

I hope so. With six in ten Americans supporting it (Washington Post-ABC News poll, April 23, 2015) it seems like a wonderful opportunity to a) illustrate the regressive and inverted policy positions of the GOP to a wide audience, and b) allow more people the chance to expose themselves to the debate and change minds.