Media Gloats that Marriage Decision “Hurts Democrats”Paul Hogarthbyline‚ May. 19‚ 2008Champagne bottles in the Castro had barely popped before the press started making dire predictions that the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality will give Democrats a bad hangover in November. Relying on the myth that John Kerry lost in 2004 because of this issue, the SF Chronicle proclaimed the decision “may help Republicans” by galvanizing the right-wing base. But there is no evidence that the 13 anti-gay marriage amendments that year clinched the election for George Bush. Moreover, such initiatives lost their potency in 2006 – a year when the Democrats took back Congress. California public opinion has changed on marriage equality since voters passed Proposition 22 in March 2000, and Barack Obama’s campaign will bring young voters out in droves. And unlike Bush, Republican John McCain is not likely to make it an issue. |