Poll: Obama's support of gay marriage opposed by independents; voters back protections for gays

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/06/poll_michigan_voters_unlikely.html

Published: Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 6:30 AM

ANN ARBOR, MI - President Barack Obama's support of gay marriage has not translated into more backing from Michigan voters overall, a new poll shows, and four in 10 self-described independents say they are less likely to vote for him because of it.

"The fact that only 17 percent of polled independent voters were supportive of the President's stance on gay marriage - and that 41 percent indicated they were less likely to vote for him as a result - may be some cause for concern with this crucial group," said Jeff Lambert, president and managing partner of public relations firm Lambert, Edwards & Associates. snip

Fifty-six percent of Democrats said they were more likely to vote for the Democratic president. Seventy-one percent of Republicans said they were less likely. snip

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney opposes gay marriage.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Am I the only one sick-to-death of those who claim they're 'independents'?

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. Well, we all knew this was a possibility, and I think we may see some slip due to the.....

president's recent immigration announcement. However, the remedy for this is overwhelming GOTV among the faithful. Whatever the outcome, it was the right thing to do.

I wonder if the LGBT community plans to help with outreach to independents, and if they'll have the president's back on this one? I only ask because Hispanic groups and other immigration advocacy groups have come out and said they are planning a full-on registration drive. Hopefully this will help combat the negative spin surrounding these contentious issues.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Frankly, the work needs to be done by those 'moderates' who understand the so called

independents, and by decent straight Democrats. Asking a minority group to go to your own straight community's most bigoted people is just charming. I say heterosexuals made the discrimination to serve their own kind, and they need to go undo it as well. The 'independents' who think we are unworthy of rights will not listen to us, they would perhaps listen to their own. Which is why those who dug the ditch need to dig us out of the ditch.
On the other hand, my circle of friends has hosted fundraisers with the President present and my phone contact list has donated more than a million to him thus far. Can you beat that? Or can you just lay more crap at the feet of an abused community, more hoops to jump through?
I see the straight bigots as part of the straight community, and it is their own who must reach out to them.
Plus, I have never met one of these 'independents' you all rant about. I mean, a person who sees Obama and Mitt as a toss up is an irrational creature, I would not have any idea how to campaign such people. I don't think there are any independents, just Republicans who are ashamed to identify as Republicans.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. Firstly, I had to remove you from Ignore to respond, and as I'll probably be returning you to that..

status, I'll be brief. I wasn't asking the LGBT community to do anything that other activist groups aren't already doing. And you've let me know what you're doing, and thanks for that info. I merely noted that as the president has taken a political hit with this voter bloc, how does the community respond? Not sure why you have an issue with what I said.

Secondly, you don't know me. You know absolutely nothing about me except the information I've chosen to disclose here. I don't share my personal life, nor the lives of my friends and loved ones, on political discussion boards. That's my decision.

If you're saying that only straight people should talk to other bullheaded straight people, then you would have made one helluva sorry assed Civil Rights leader. That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on the internet. It sounds as if you've thrown in the towel with regard to speaking truth to hateful bigotry. Now that's really "crap" AFAIC.

I'm sure you'd love to engage me in a fight on this topic, which is why you were on Ignore in the first place, but you've shared with me, and vice versa. Nothing more to be said.

Obama-Biden 2012!!!!

Oh, and I think we finally may have found a point of agreement, THIS:

"I don't think there are any independents, just Republicans who are ashamed to identify as Republicans."

[Bluenorthwest]

9. I don't fight, honey, I tell you what I think. Thinking. It's how we move forward.

Let's be clear. If this was a sincere question- "I wonder if the LGBT community plans to help with outreach to independents, and if they'll have the president's back on this one?" Google could have answered that for you in an instant. Or ask the OFA. What we are doing is well known and I pointed out what I and my circle are doing. And I told you what I think the straight community, the one with the issues, should be doing. Which is it's duty to it's own and to the larger community. I think the straights can do more to persuade the bigots among them than we can. So I think they should get off their asses and try to do so.
GLBT bundlers have raised over 8 million since march. One quarter. Many people read about this event, which was just 19 days ago. What is really in order is thanks, not more arched eyebrows and insinuations.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/celebrities-hollywood-power-players-attend-334371

[Tarheel_Dem]

10. Then we have no issue then.

[bornskeptic]

3. "More or Less Likely to Vote for" polls are meaningless.

Most of the people who say they are less likely to vote for Obama were never going to vote for him anyway, and most of the peole who say they are more likely to vote for him were always going to vote for him. There may be a small group that changed one way or the other based on his announcement, but the poll provides no evidence of how big that group is or whether more were swayed one way or the other.If they asked me, I would say I was more likely to vote for him, but it would be a lie. It's not possible to be more likely than 100% likely.

[taught_me_patience]

5. "Independent" = Republican

but too embarrassed to admit it after the disaster of Bush.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Nixon won by a landslide before he resigned and I couldn't find 1 person who admitted voting for him

My Republican parents stopped voting in the primary because they didn't want to declare their party affiliation any more. My mother still won't.

Don

[Arkana]

7. From the "Who Gives A Damn What Bigots Think" corner.