A majority of Americans approve of
President Barack Obama's announcement in support of gay marriage.
According to a USA
TODAY/Gallup poll released Friday, 51 percent of those surveyed
approve of Obama's new stance on the issue, while 45 percent do not.
A greater number of people, however, said
the move would make them less likely to vote for the president in the
fall. Twenty-six percent of those surveyed said the president's
position made them less likely to vote for him, while 13 percent said
the shift in position increased the likelihood that they would vote
for Obama. Sixty percent said the president's shift would have no
bearing on how they vote.
Obama dropped his previous stance of
“evolving” on the issue to come out in favor of legalizing
marriage for gay couples on Wednesday in an interview with ABC News'
Robin Roberts. The next day, the
Obama campaign released a video contrasting the president's views
with those of his presumed GOP rival, Mitt Romney.
Romney has reiterated his opposition to
the institution but added
that, “I know other people have differing views.”