A new Pew opinion poll shows that a majority of Americans believe the redefinition of marriage is “inevitable.”
We’ve heard “inevitable” language before, particularly from statists of all stripes. History is filled with supposedly “inevitable” causes that turned out not to be so. Nothing in life is inevitable except death and taxes—and at The Heritage Foundation we’re doing what we can about taxes.
So, too, on marriage. Consider some facts about the polls that matter most: elections. Citizens have gone to the polls to vote about marriage in 35 states. The truth about marriage has prevailed 32 of those 35 times. In only three states have citizens voted to redefine marriage—all in the 2012 election—and in each state the truth about marriage far outperformed the Republican presidential candidate. For example, in liberal Maryland, Mitt Romney received 36 percent of the vote, while marriage received 48 percent.
All this in a campaign in which proponents of redefinition had a 4:1 financial advantage and the backing of national figures: President Obama, Vice President Biden, governors, and a host of business, sports, and entertainment leaders.
Just last [month], citizens in deep-blue Illinois prevented their legislature from voting to redefine marriage—and they did this despite a Democratic supermajority in the statehouse—and despite President Obama, Governor Pat Quinn (D), and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) all urging passage of the bill.