Voting by Issue, Part II
At a family event in Rochester, NY this weekend, my uncle expressed the opinion that coming out (no pun intended) against gay marriage was going to be Bush's downfall. While I do think that gay marriage is a tidal wave in the making, I'm not sure that any one issue can make or break an election. (I didn't get too many answers to my "What goes into your decision about which candidate to vote for in the general elections?" question via comments on The Ability to Beat Bush post, but from talking to people about it in person, I've found that most folks base their vote on at least two or three issues—if not more—rather than one.)
This theory seems to be supported by an article in today's New York Times called "Gay and Republican, but Not Necessarily Disloyal to the President" (bad title, I know; there's no "but" situation here). One quote:
In interviews last week several gay Republicans said they resented the assumption that while straight people worry about taxes or national security, gays and lesbians vote according to their sexuality alone. ... "There are so many more issues involved," said Jim McFarland of Milwaukee, a member of the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians and one of the gay Republicans who met with Mr. Bush in Austin. "I think he would handle foreign policy much better, he would handle fiscal policy much better. I certainly don't want that big tax cut reversed that he passed. There are other issues that have a big impact on my life."
Speaking of that big tax cut, I had assumed some of my older, business- and investment-minded relatives would be firmly behind Bush because of it. Instead, several thought it was just plain dumb. In addition, they thought going into Iraq unilaterally was (in addition to being dumb) downright dangerous. None of them gives a rat's ass about gay marriage (perhaps because they already welcome the long-term partners of gay cousins, nieces, or nephews at family gatherings). They do, however, care about deficits, and about burdening the younger members of the family with a huge national debt. My great aunt, to whom the Republican National Committee keeps sending photos of the President as thanks for her support, will likely be voting Democratic this time around.