Some Conservatives Are Accepting Defeat on Marriage Equality. Here’s Why.
Sasha Issenberg at POLITICO explains why some conservative interest groups have backed away from their efforts to ban same-sex marriage. Concerned about the vulnerability of Obergefell v. Hodges (the case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide), a series of legal and voting battles began to overturn pre-existing state marriage laws after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. Due to political and public pressure, boycotts, and a greater interest in reproductive issues, however, many anti-marriage equality interest groups have refocused their attention and money from this to other issues. PRRI data finds that a plurality of voters in all states support equal marriage rights today.
Swing States to Test Biden’s Abortion-Rights Push
At Axios, Erin Doherty examines whether support for reproductive rights will be enough to carry President Joe Biden in key battleground states heading into the presidential election. PRRI’s CEO, Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., cautioned that broad support for abortion rights may not directly translate into votes for Biden. Just 4% of Americans cited abortion as the country’s most important issue last month according to Gallup, while a separate pollfound that 11% of voters in battleground states listed abortion as the top issue. PRRI research finds that 50% of women in battleground states say they will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion.
The Immigration Story Nobody Is Talking About
At The New Yorker, John Cassidy writesthat the surge of migrants coming to the United States in recent years has contributed to a marked increase in economic growth and consumer spending. According to Cassidy, considerations about the benefits of immigration and the role migrants play in boosting the economy are absent in the discourse about immigration in the U.S., where President Biden’s recent executive order aims to crack down on unauthorized crossings at the southern border. PRRI’s 2023 American Values Survey finds that less than one-third of Americans (31%) approve of the job that Biden is doing to handle immigration, while 65% disapprove.
Who Thinks Their Freedoms to Buy or Own a Gun Are Restricted, and How Does That Affect Their Vote?
A new PRRI Spotlight Analysis explores Americans’ attitudes toward gun control and their likelihood to only vote for a candidate who shares their position on guns. According to PRRI’s 2022 Social Networks Survey, one-third of Americans (34%) keep a gun in their homes, and, according to PRRI’s recent Gen Z survey, around four in ten Republicans (41%) and Democrats (40%) alike will only vote for a candidate who shares their views on guns. Overall, half of Republicans (51%) feel that their freedom to buy or own guns has become more restricted in recent years, 18 percentage points over the national average (33%), and one-third of Democrats (32%) feel this freedom has become less restricted, 9 percentage points over the national average (23%).
