The Ashbury Park Press has published a look at the opinions of gay marriage by the people of New Jersey over the last few years. There's clearly an even split:
"New
Jersey polls over the past six years show that support for gay marriage
has drifted between 41 and 50 percent. At the same time, opposition has
hovered within a nearly identical 40 to 50 percent range. At different
times, supporters have outnumbered opponents by a few points and at
other times it's been the other way around. The bottom line is that
neither side of the issue has been able to claim a clear majority here
in the Garden State."
Polls showed a jump in support for gay marriage during the furor that developed after the 2009 Miss USA/Carrie Prejean controversy.
"…when Miss California, Carrie Prejean, announced she was personally opposed to gay marriage…The ensuing media storm was fast and furious, with the number of press articles on gay marriage doubling during those weeks. Based on the polls, public opinion initially reacted negatively to Prejean's position, but quickly returned to its prior standing once the media attention died down."
As you know, earlier this year, the New Jersey Senate rejected the state's Marriage Equality bill. Here's what gay marriage advocates are doing to win equality in that state.