Major Shift in Marriage Attitudes

The National Journal on iPad

It seems like every time we turn around there’s another survey about what people think about gay marriage. But the latest one from Washington D.C.-based National Journal shows what can only be described as an astonishing shift in opinion among the politicians, strategists and campaign consultants polled.

While the results are not indicative of the public at large, they do suggest that among Washington D.C. insiders, marriage equality is growing in acceptance. In fact, while the majority of Democrats support it, more than half of Republicans would rather avoid the issue entirely. Progress? Sorta.

Here are a few highlights:

While most Democrats surveyed (almost 85 percent) say that their party should support gay marriage, more than half of Republicans (56 percent) say their party should avoid the issue. This compares to 30 percent of Republicans who think their party should oppose it.

Democrats may also be banking on gay marriage support to woo younger voters. One of the respondents described the issue as “this generation’s civil rights movement.” Not that everyone isn’t cognizant of reaching swing voters and moderates. One inside said: “Let’s not push the envelope.”

For a full list of results and a listing of people from both parties who participated in the latest survey (it may surprise you), click here.