Hypo: gay marriage support reaches 65%

[Non Swing Voter]

how does each party play this issue (assuming gay marriage isn't legalized by the Supreme Court first)?

[New_Conservative]

I seriously think the GOP embraces it within the decade, at least I'd hope.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

It probably will soon IRL.

[TDAS04]

The GOP won't want to talk about it.  Either they would look ridiculous if they still opposed it, or they would upset their base by supporting it.  Republicans should hope that SCOTUS legalizes it soon, so the issue goes away. 

[Rockefeller GOP]

The GOP will absolutely support it within the decade.  Republicans under 50 already support it by a pretty good margin, and they'll be the base soon.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Republicans will probably adopt a position of neutrality - The party at large won't say anything good or bad about it, and avoid talking about it as much as possible during campaigns - and will say it should be left up to the states when forced to announce a position.

[Free Bird]

The GOP will absolutely support it within the decade.  Republicans under 50 already support it by a pretty good margin, and they'll be the base soon.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Republicans wouldn't dare oppose something that the overwhelming majority of Americans approved of.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/07/us-usa-guns-poll-idUSBRE9160LW20130207

[politicus]

Republicans wouldn't dare oppose something that the overwhelming majority of Americans approved of.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/07/us-usa-guns-poll-idUSBRE9160LW20130207

True, but while the gun lobby is backed up by powerful economic interests there is no anti-gay industry. Maybe rich megachurches, Christian Right organizations and SoCon billionaires will put in some money to keep up the fight, but still: gay marriage isn't a threat to somebodies business as gun control is.

[Person Man]

If SCOTUS rules favorably on SSM, it goes away as an issue if it continues to be this popular. If there's a backlash against a national ruling, we won't hear the end of it. I tend to think we won't. In most likelihood, by the next liberal Administration or Congress, gay marriage won't be an issue but smaller things like "reverse discrimination", local Republicans covering up hate crimes against homosexuals and local Democrats alleging them will be an occasional thing, but not to the level it is against Blacks and Hispanics today.

[Spacephys02]

They would have to support it on the national level or at least adopt a position of neutrality and leave it up to the states. The Democrats may go into attack mode if the Republicans do not support legalization at the national level, but I don't really see that happening. If SCOTUS legalizes it for the whole country, they would have to leave it at that. If they try to get in new judges that would keep it illegal at the federal level, Republicans will never hear the end of it. Running on a socially moderate/liberal and fiscally conservative platform is best for the party in the future. 

[Chilltown]

Republicans should hope that SCOTUS legalizes it soon, so the issue goes away. 

I think that would be a disaster for GOP candidates. Right now they can cop out and say "Of course I support traditional marriage, I also believe it is best to leave it up to states" If the Supreme Court strikes down state laws, then there will be a lot of pressure from the religious right - which still holds an inordinate amount of power in the GOP - to support an amendment that at the very least overturns the decision, or more likely, double down on a Marriage amendment.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Some Republicans will remain virulently opposed, some will support it, the majority will just want the issue to go away, and most Americans will forget that the GOP ever opposed it.

The Democrats will try to take credit for progress on gay marriage by their "evolving" on the issue, but meh....

 

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I mean, didn't 70% of Americans oppose the Iraq war in 2008?  But a guy who wanted to keep troops in Iraq for 100 years won a lot more than 30% of the vote.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I mean, didn't 70% of Americans oppose the Iraq war in 2008?  But a guy who wanted to keep troops in Iraq for 100 years won a lot more than 30% of the vote.

Te be fair, keeping troops in Iraq is a bit different than continuing the Iraq War, although I oppose both.

IIRC it was 70% that favored a withdraw, I should have worded it better.  I can't find the actual survey, though I heard Meghan Kelley used it around the time that Cheney was on FOX trying to prove that he was right all along.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

What if SCOTUS leaves it to the states? Most here automatically assume that they'll legalize nationally and aren't looking at it not going that way.