Nearly 75 percent of voters say a
candidate's position on gay marriage is not “very important” to
their vote.
What is important to voters during this
election cycle is the economy and jobs, according to a survey
released Tuesday by the Pew
Research Center for the People and the Press.
“More than eight-in-ten voters say
the economy (86%) and jobs (84%) are very important issues in
deciding who to vote for this fall,” pollsters said in releasing
their findings. “Roughly three-quarters also cite the federal
deficit (74%), health care (74%) and education as top voting
priorities.”
Gay marriage ranked dead last at 28
percent.
Maggie Gallagher of the National
Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's most vociferous
opponent of gay marriage, brushed aside the poll's findings.
“Social issues are always further
down the list of voters' concerns, below jobs, the economy, getting blown
up by terrorists, health care and education – this year is no
exception,” Gallagher wrote in an op-ed published in Uexpress.com.
Conservatives have mounted a campaign
to pressure Romney to shift further to the right on social issues,
including
gay marriage.
“But the values issues continue to be
crucial to any Republican who hopes to get elected president,”
Gallagher added. “Other than the budget deficit, the only issues
strongly favoring Romney are gun control (52 -44) and gay marriage
(50-43).”
Gallagher neglected to mention that
Romney's lead on the issue of marriage is confined to respondents who
said gay marriage was “very important” to their vote. That is,
roughly 14% of those surveyed say gay marriage is an important issue
and ostensibly oppose its legalization.