Gay Support Turns Off Swing Voters

Endorsements hurt more than help in key states, poll finds

By Heather McPherson, Newser User

Posted Aug 8, 2007 7:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – The backing of gay rights groups could turn swing-state voters against a candidate, new polls show. Politico reports that Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania voters, by a large margin, consider the support of such groups reason to vote against rather than for a candidate; no one since JFK has been elected president without winning two of those states.

Independent voters were particularly likely to interpret the endorsement of a gay-rights group as a negative; men were more likely to hold that view than women, and Republicans more likely than Democrats. Meanwhile, pollees were turned off by business-group endorsements, turned on by labor-group support and split evenly on religious-group backing.

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Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, left, waves as his partner Michael Shiosaki shows off his domestic partnership registration card after the couple registered Monday, July 23, 3007, at the Secretary of State's... (Associated Press)

Couples waiting on the steps of the Secretary of State's office to register as domestic partners, turn and applaud as a couple walks out of the other end of the building after registering Monday, July... (Associated Press)

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, attends a gala for the Human Rights Campaign on Saturday, July 14, 2007, in San Francisco. At left is actor George Takei who announced... (Associated Press)

After election 2004, it appeared that the discussion of Gay issues on the part of Kerry, brought out more voters who backed George W. Bush than those who supported Democrat John F. Kerry for president.... (Magnum Photos)

Democratic Presidential hopefuls (L-R) Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. and Rep. Dennis... (Associated Press)

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Gay Support Turns Off Swing Voters