Overlooked Key to Obama Victory: Gay Voters

They favored the president 3 to 1, says NYT
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 15, 2012 4:33 PM CST
Overlooked Key to Obama Victory: Gay Voters
Revelers kiss as they celebrate early election returns on a referendum in Washington state to legalize gay marriage.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The role of gay voters in President Obama's re-election hasn't gotten much attention, but a New York Times story makes the case that it was a "decisive" factor. Exit polls showed that 5% of voters identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and Obama had their overwhelming support by a 3-to-1 margin, according to a UCLA study. Considering that Mitt Romney held his own among straight voters nationally and even edged the president in Ohio, the gay vote could indeed have been crucial. The story also explores the resulting dilemma for Republicans—how to woo this growing segment of voters without alienating cultural conservatives. Read it in full here. (More Election 2012 stories.)

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