Apathy will be the Death-Knell of the Marriage Debate.

[Solon]

Think about this, in recent polls, 60% of Americans oppose same sex marriage. Sounds bad until you look at other polls, such as around 60 percent of Americans oppose the Marriage Amendment too. Also on the list of issues most Americans feel are important, Gay Marriage is dead last. While most Americans feel personally that Gay Marriage is wrong, most don't feel strongly enough to let it affect their vote. I think that the Conservative stragedy will backfire, for if anything, most people will tire of the debate, and give in.

Even today, almost half of Whites oppose interracial marriages, yet except for the open bigots, they keep that opinion to themselves. Besides the fact that the Conservatives are losing ground in the long run, 30+ states have DOMA's that will be challenged in court, and overturned due to the Full Faith and Credit clause of the constitution.

Once Straights see that Gay Marriage doesn't affect them negatively, it will only be an issue to the 10% or 20% of the Hard right. They will alienate the swing voters due to hate and bigotry. Social issues are always losing battles to the Religious Right, and they cannot win in the long run. The most they can do is slow down cultural change, they can't stop it.

[efhmc]

1. Interesting thought. I really believe most people do not care about this

issue. The media loves it and so it goes until the next craziness from the bushies or a breast gets shown accidentally on TV.

[Solon]

4. Two things to count on in America.

Impatience and Short Term Memory. If the Repubs countinue to make this an issue, most Americans will wonder when they will talk about "Real" Issues. Also the actions in Mass. and California will soon not be at the forfront of American media in a month, 2 months at most. Ratings will plummet once people lose interest, and they will, do not doubt.

[Beetwasher]

2. Repubs Will Lose Making this and Other Culture Issues the

main subjects of their campaigns. But they got nothing else, so their going with the culture war.

The moderate swing voters will see them as completely out of touch with the issues that matter and they will lose.

[Jawja]

6. My two Republican Brothers

think bringing up the Gay Marriage issue is a bad idea for *. They think it's to divisive and they don't support amending the constitution to define the meaning of "legal" personal relationships.

I believe that this clearly demonstrates even to some Republicans that * is a "divider, not a uniter" and that the neocon religious freaks want to control your bedroom.

It is not a winner for the GOP.

[Robin Hood]

3. In another time over 80% on Americans were pro slavery.

But the COnstitution is there to protect the minority from the majority. That's something that continually fails to reach most people. But not our founding fathers who fully undertood what it was like to be a victim of the tyrrany that can come from the majority.

Just because everyone else jumps off the cliff, it does not mean that you should do the same...Duh...

[efhmc]

5. Yes and I have only been able to vote for 84 years. (Well actually less

for me personally.) Not being a popular issue doesn't make it a moral issue, which this is. It is a personal freedom, civil rights issue.