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

Posted May 17, 08 5:34 PM CDT in Politics 

(Newser) – 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.

Source Newsweek

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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)
A gay couple get married on the beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 2004.   (Magnum Photos)
Sharon Papo, second from left, and her partner Amber Weiss apply for an appointment for a marriage licence at the county clerks office in San Francisco on Thursday, May 15, 2008.   (AP Photo/ Tony Avelar)
Stuart Gaffney and his partner of 21 years, John Lewis, hold a California flag after hearing the Supreme Court decision on same sex marriages outside the court house in San Francisco.   (AP Photo/ Tony Avelar)
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