Gay Unions Return as Campaign Issue

All three candidates have similar views, but nuances could be a factor
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted May 16, 2008 9:35 AM CDT
Gay Unions Return as Campaign Issue
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., shakes hands inside Jerry's Cakes & Donuts during a campaign stop in Rapid City, S.D., Thursday, May 15, 2008.    (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

In the wake of the California decision, gay advocates hope to bring the issue of same-sex marriages to the forefront of the general election. But all three candidates have similar views—they support civil unions but think marriages should be between men and women, the New York Times reports. They differ in nuances, however, and if the issue gains traction in the next few months, look for those differences to come into play.

If, for example, John McCain were to support an expected to bid to overturn the decision at the polls, it could give conservatives ammunition against Barack Obama, the Times notes. But many believe the issue has fallen by the wayside amid a continuing war and a struggling economy. “At best, it doesn’t move voters, and at worst for Republicans, it moves them against them,” said a former Bush strategist. “It becomes, ‘Why are we discussing this?'”  (More Election 2008 stories.)

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