President Barack Obama's reelection
campaign on Wednesday touted polls suggesting the majority of
Americans side with the president on gay marriage.
According to The Associated Press,
the Obama team trumpeted the polling during a conference call with
reporters.
“A lot of recent polls show that
support for gay marriage across the country is growing,” Clo Ewing,
a spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, is quoted as saying.
Obama, who previously endorsed civil
unions for gay and lesbian couples, announced two weeks ago Wednesday
his shift to marriage in an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts. He
credited his gay friends and daughters Sasha and Malia with
influencing his decision.
According to a the Washington
Post/ABC News poll
released Wednesday, support has hit a record high (53%) and
opposition a record low (39%). For the first time, “strong”
support (39%) for gay marriage outstripped “strong” opposition
(32%), the survey found. Most polls show a majority of Americans
support equal access to marriage regardless of sexual orientation.
A Public Policy Polling survey
released last week found evidence that support among African
Americans in North Carolina increased (7%) after the president's
historic announcement.