Why the GOP Isn't Campaigning Against Gay Marriage

Writing at The Huffington Post, the Cato Institute's David Boaz notes that unlike the 2004 presidential election, the GOP this time around is largely keeping quiet about gay marriage. He writes:

Fortunately, Republicans are mostly ignoring [Rick] Santorum and his allies these days. They see the long-term damage that the anti-gay crusade is doing them. Back in 2004 they thought that social issues, especially gay marriage bans, would help them win the presidential election. It wasn't really true even then: it turns out that George W. Bush's share of the vote rose just slightly less in the marriage-ban states than in the other states: up 2.6 percent in the states with marriage bans on the ballot, up 2.9 percent in the other states.

This year, even though President Obama and the Democratic platform have endorsed marriage equality, Mitt Romney and the Republicans are staying away from the issue. With good reason.

…even as support for marriage equality is just flirting with 50 percent, two-thirds of young voters support it. Campaigning against gay marriage is a good way to make the Democratic advantage among young people permanent.

Read the whole thing here.