-There's been a noticeable shift in the attitudes of African Americans in North Carolina toward rights for gay couples in the wake of President Obama's announcement last week that he supports gay marriage. Our final poll before the primary last week found only 20% of black voters in the state favoring gay marriage, with 63% opposed. Now 27% express support for gay marriage with 59% opposed, for an overall 11 point shift on the margin.
There's been a similar movement when it comes to the overall idea of providing gay couples legal rights in the form of either marriage or civil unions. Before the primary 44% of African Americans favored one of those with 51% opposed to any sort of legal recognition for same sex couples. Now 55% of blacks support either gay marriage or civil unions with only 39% against any sort of recognition. Obama's words look to be having an impact.
-In another indication that North Carolinians don't really know what they voted for last week 55% of voters in the state say they support either gay marriage or civil unions. Even though 61% voted to ban both of those things last week. We also asked very explicitly whether same sex couples should be allowed civil unions with the same legal rights as marriage and the state splits on that question at 46%.
On a side note 8% of North Carolina voters, including 13% of Republicans, think being gay should be a felony.
-The legislature continues to be incredibly unpopular with just 17% of voters approving of the job it's doing to 57% who disapprove. That has North Carolinians inclined to vote for change this fall- Democrats now lead the generic legislative ballot by a 46-41 margin. Most notably that includes a 36-33 advantage with independents- what's striking about that is the same group of independents supports Pat McCrory over Walter Dalton by a 52-29 margin. Perhaps they are looking for divided government in Raleigh, just with the roles reversed from what they are now.
That lead is not a sign of confidence for legislative Democrats- they have a 33/49 favorability rating. But the Republicans are even more unpopular at 31/52.
Full results here
In other words, race trumps everything else with these voters.
Posted by: PNC | May 17, 2012 at 03:55 PM
It's very sad to me that a group that has been discriminated against for so long (African-Americans) is among the worst when it comes to discrimination against homosexuals.
Posted by: Obama 2012 | May 18, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Good poll, but I don't accept that the voters didn't know what they voted for. It is entirely possible that the voters were for civil unions but voted for the amendment anyway b/c they wanted the ban on gay marriage more. In other words, they were presented with a package deal and the only way to get what they wanted was to accept something that they opposed, so their desire for the former outweighed their opposition to the latter.
This really goes to how unfair it is to package up the 2 issues as one. The anti-gay side only does this when it thinks it can get away with it. That is why they aren't trying it in MN.
Posted by: Gerald | May 19, 2012 at 05:48 PM
The black president declares his support for same-sex marriage. Suddenly black support for same-sex marriage jumps 11%. Then some people have the nerve to claim LGBT people are engaging in Identity Politics.
Posted by: Margaret Whitestone | May 20, 2012 at 01:15 AM
This makes me sick to my stomach that a group of people would rather be more concerned about the color of one's skin than what morals that person values. I am black, and I have never supported Obama. I didn't vote for him the first time nor will I this time around because I do not truly believe he has the public's best interest in mind. Even if all of the money and social issues of the world could be solved, if this country loses it's morals and beliefs on which it was founded, then it has no hope.
Posted by: Latisha Bellamy | August 03, 2012 at 05:24 PM