Gay Marriage Issue Actually Helps GOP

Conventional wisdom argues that opposition to gay marriage hurt Republicans in the recent election cycle, but nothing in the numbers suggests that this is true.

 

In the four liberal states where advocates for same-sex marriage won their victories, the redefinition of marriage proved much less popular than Barack Obama. In Maryland, for instance, Obama cruised to victory with 62 percent of the vote, but same-sex marriage squeaked by with just 52 percent. In other words, more than one out of six of Obama supporters voted with Republicans, not their fellow Democrats, against same sex marriage.

 

In Maryland, Maine, Washington...