Ben Smith at Politico makes note of announcement from two major pollsters calling same-sex marriage "increasingly safe political ground" for politicians:
The pollsters, Republican Jan van Lohuizen and Democrat Joel Benenson, argue in their memo, which can be read in full here, that support for marriage is increasing at an accelerating rate, and that the shift is driven by a politically crucial group, independents. They are expected to unveil the memo, which was commissioned by the group Freedom to Marry and shared exclusively with POLITICO, at a press conference at the National Press Club today.
The memo comes at a moment when politicians are weighing the impact of their choices on the issue. An increasing number of ambitious executives in liberal states, led by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, have seen support for same-sex marriage boost their standing within the Democratic Party. But while polls have long shown increasing support for same-sex marriage, the issue has failed at the polls even in Democratic leaning states including California and Maine, giving pause political figures considering "evolving" on the issue, and encouragement to activists who favor limiting marriage to being between a man and a woman.
