Why Gay Marriage Won't Be a Hot Issue in 2008 Race

Same-sex marriages were a hot issue in the 2004 election but times have changed
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 17, 2008 5:34 PM CDT
Why Gay Marriage Won't Be a Hot Issue in 2008 Race
Two gay couples and their attorney hold a sign during a news conference following California's lifting of a ban on gay marriages, Thursday, May 15, 2008.    (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Same-sex marriage was a big issue in 2004 and may have nudged the Democrats towards defeat, Karen Breslau writes in Newsweek. The issue is back in the spotlight this election year but she can think of four big reasons why it won't matter as much:

  • Public opinion is shifting toward favoring gay marriage, or at least civil unions.
  • John McCain is a maverick on social issues and doesn't seem inclined to make same-sex unions a battleground.

  • With economic worries mounting and the Iraq war dragging on, gay marriage is way down the list of most voters' priorities
  • The issue isn't as partisan anymore: The California court that overturned a ban on same-sex marriages is Republican-dominated.
(More gay marriage stories.)

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