A CBS News/New York Times poll released Monday evening confirmed that most people were unfazed by President Barack Obama’s public support of same-sex marriage. But the poll shed light on another development that could give the Obama re-election team pause: among those who were affected by his much-publicized announcement, 26 percent said they are now less likely to vote for the president.
While the CBS/NYT poll found that the majority of respondents — 57 percent — were unaffected by Obama’s announcement, the fallout could still affect what is shaping up to be a tight race. The poll underscores the political perils of Obama taking a position that, for all of the shift in public opinion, is still controversial within certain parts of the electorate (a point that TPM has noted as well).
Moreover, the poll seems to echo Republican criticism that the president’s decision to support same-sex marriage was driven by politics: 67 percent said Obama made his announcement “mostly for political reasons” while only 24 percent said he did it “mostly because he thinks it’s right.” A staggering 70 percent of independents — a voting bloc won by Mitt Romney, who also edged the president overall, in the poll — think Obama was politically motivated.
Same-sex marriage may fade from the public consciousness before November; only seven percent in the CBS/NYT survey cited it as the most important issue. Ultimately, the election will likely be settled over the economy, an area that could also prove problematic for Obama.
The CBS/NYT poll was conducted May 11-13.
