Almost 70% of Iowans Want to Vote on Marriage
- Monday, July 13, 2009, 4:22
- Iowa, News Center, Top Story
- 1,604 views
- 25 comments
It has been just three months since the Iowa Supreme Court issued its ruling allowing gay marriage in Iowa. While there were a number of polls taken on the issue before the Court issued its decision, TheIowaRepublican.com poll is the first statewide poll to ask the opinion of Iowans following the decision.
With the legislative session over and the media focus gone, TheIowaRepublican.com poll provides the first real glimpse of how the Court’s ruling will impact the 2010 campaigns in Iowa. TheIowaRepublican.com poll found that 67% of Iowans believe that voters should have the right to decide the issue. Only 27% of Iowans think that the decision was best left to the Iowa Supreme Court to decide.
Question: The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled gay marriages can legally be conducted in the state. Whether you agree or disagree with the decision, do you think Iowa voters should have the chance to vote on a traditional marriage amendment to the constitution or is the issue best decided by the Supreme Court?
Statewide Results
Voters Should Decide: 67%
Supreme Court best to Decide: 27%
Don’t Know: 4%
Refused: 1%Republicans Surveyed
Voters Should Decide: 87%
Supreme Court best to Decide: 11%
Don’t Know: 2%
Refused: 0%
Overwhelmingly, the people of Iowa want the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment. Some Republicans have indicated that using the gay marriage issue could be politically dangerous because many would see the party as being too exclusive. TheIowaRepublican.com poll shows that not to be the case at all. Almost 70% of Iowans want the opportunity to vote on a marriage amendment.
Nearly 90%of Iowa Republicans support the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment. This clearly indicates that the likelihood of Iowa Republicans nominating a centrist in regards to the gay marriage issue is slim to impossible.
The poll results clearly show that Republicans shouldn’t be worried about making the Supreme Court ruling in Varnum v. Brien and the lack of action by Governor Culver and the Democrat leadership an issue in the upcoming election. The issue isn’t necessarily about gay marriage, but rather, it’s about the people being allowed their constitutional right to vote. Iowans clearly want to voice their opinion on this matter at the ballot box.
Given the fact that a clear majority of voters want to vote on this issue and the fact that the Democrats have acted as though a majority of Iowans would support gay marriage, you have to wonder what the Democrats are thinking. If the Democrat leadership is purporting to “protect rights from being trampled”, whose rights are their protecting? Clearly, a majority of Iowans feel as though their rights are being trampled, and it’s a majority the size of which no state-wide or local candidate should ignore.
Bryan English, the Director of Public Relations for the Iowa Family Policy Center told TheIowaRepublican.com, “The results of the poll on marriage conducted by TheIowaRepublican.com mirror the results of a similar poll conducted for internal use by the Iowa Family Policy Center. Public opinion on marriage is consistently a 65 – 70% issue, and the numbers tell us that Iowans want the right to vote on the Iowa Marriage Amendment. How the political class responds to these numbers will help separate the wheat from the chaff among those who seek office in 2010.”
What those numbers tell us, is that despite the best efforts of Lambda legal and the liberal media to create a perception that public opinion has changed, Iowa citizens still know what marriage is, and they still know how laws are made. The political power in this state rests with the people. They are not comfortable with the court making law for them, and on an issue as important as marriage; they want to have their say,” English said.
TheIowaRepublican.com poll also shows that 41% of Iowans consider themselves to be pro-life, while 29% consider themselves to be pro-choice.
Question: On political issues, do you consider yourself pro-life, pro-choice, or somewhere in between?
StatewidePro-Life: 41%
Pro-Choice: 29%
Somewhere in between: 28%
Don’t Know: 6%
Refused: 1%Republicans
Pro-Life: 69%
Pro-Choice: 13%
Somewhere in between: 17%
Don’t Know: 2%
Refused: 1%
Again, some influential Republicans have encouraged the Party and its candidates to shy away from the hot button issue of abortion, yet far more Iowans consider themselves to be pro-life than pro-choice. The debate within Republican circles should not be about whether or not people have to abandon their principles, but about how pro-life Republican candidates can talk positively about the issue without alienating the 28% of the people who are somewhere in the middle.
Nationally, Democrats have run pro-life, pro-Second Amendment candidates to knock off Republican incumbents or win open seats in rural states and congressional districts. While the issue of abortion will always incite debate, Iowa Republicans don’t have to abandon the issue in order to win on Election Day. However, some of our candidates need to do a better job when speaking about the issue. With 69% of Republicans identifying themselves as pro-life, it would be difficult to see a pro-choice candidate win a Republican primary.
TheIowaRepublican.com poll also asked respondents what issues they feel are the most important.
Question: Of the following list of issues, which are the most important to you? (Up to three answers).
Jobs and Unemployment: 35(Statewide) – 17(Republican)
The Economy: 38(Statewide) – 29(Republican)
Education: 23(Statewide) – 17(Republican)
Taxes: 17(Statewide) – 28(Republican)
Government Spending: 24(Statewide) – 39(Republican)
Agriculture: 9(Statewide) – 12(Republican)
Moral Values: 22(Statewide) – 38(Republican)
Healthcare: 37(Statewide) – 22(Republican)
Illegal Immigration: 16(Statewide) – 19(Republican)
Conservative Republicans don’t have to be ashamed, embarrassed, or chagrined about believing in the sanctity of life or the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. Clearly, Iowans agree with them on those issues. We have in front of us a fertile landscape. Republicans in Iowa represent the vast majority of Iowans. We have nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact, we have quite a lot to be proud of and build upon.
• The economy, jobs and fiscal issues are top priorities for most Iowans. They are the top issues for Republicans as well.
• A clear majority of Iowans are either pro-life or somewhere in the middle. So, too, are the vast majority of Republicans in this state.
• A clear majority of Iowans want the issue of gay marriage to go to a vote of the people. So do a huge majority of Republicans.
• Republicans are about trusting people to make their own decisions, while Democrats believe that government is best suited to make decisions for people.
The Democrats favor not allowing the people an opportunity to vote on gay marriage. They have instead endorsed the decision the Supreme Court made while ignoring the will of the people. Iowa Democrats have made it clear that they want to raise your taxes. They know better how to spend your money than you do. They kowtow to the labor unions because only the unions will defend the people from the villains who create jobs. Iowa Democrats have spent the state a BILLION dollars in debt in just a few short years. They don’t have to act like normal people do and balance their budget and live within their means. Furthermore, Governor Culver has taken a “wait and see” attitude towards balancing Iowa’s budget.
So, as we look to the 2010 elections, ask this question: who represents the people of Iowa?
I think the answer is rather clear. The poll numbers don’t lie.
About the Author
Craig Robinson has written 452 stories on this site.
Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.
25 Comments on “Almost 70% of Iowans Want to Vote on Marriage”
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how big was your sample and what were the percentages ? the questions could have been a bit better, but the thing that stands out to me is the ECONOMY is the top issue. that’s what us fiscal conservatives have been trying to tell you. focus on the economy and win back the house and senate, then you can tinker with the other issues.
LoboSolo,
Here is the link to the post that talks about the polling sample and who the pollster is.
http://theiowarepublican.com/home/2009/07/08/tir-statewide-gubernatorial-poll/
There is a host of issues that will favor Republicans next fall. We have nothing to be defensive of. Republicans have not had an environment in which to campaign for a probably decade.
Wow, more red meat for your buddy deace. I’m sure he’ll use this to club the rest of us like a baby seal if we don’t agree! Speaking at least for myself, none of us think these isues are un-mportant, but with the economy in the toilet, the state of affairs with the budget, etc., the GOP can’t afford to be a one-note johnny stuck on gay marriage if we expect to win back the Statehouse and Terrace Hill!!!
Amen, Timmy!! That is why that at this time, Rants has the exact right mix. He has the best grasp of the economic situation and has also fought valiantly to keep traditional marriage.
Rants also knows in order to ever reverse this “gay marriage” ruling, we must first take back the House and Senate and Terrace Hill!!
Republicans have all the issues handed to them on a silver platter. This should be a huge Republican year.
The voters of Iowa need to be made to understand the dangers of how the Dimocrats are trying to give the store to the unions and how that is going to affect the creation of jobs in Iowa. Iowa must remain a right-to-work state and Dims want to take that away.
Dims are a threat to our economic health and competitiveness.
If we make the election about Gay marriage, we will rightfully lose. Running on a platform of social issues energizes your core, but alienates those that are still deciding what you stand for (undecided voters).
Run on fiscal issues, run on the fact that the Democrats tried to pass some incredibly damaging pro-Union legislation in the last 4 years. But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, don’t make gay marriage a “central” issue in this election debate.
I really don’t want 4 more years of Culver, and I fear if gay marriage is our platform, that’s exactly what we’ll get. Oh, and lots of guarantee’d wage hikes and contracts for our unions.
Should our Republican candidates focus solely on gay marriage? No.
But should they not talk about it? They absolutely should talk about it because most people agree with us.
This is just all the more reason to find candidates that are BOTH fiscally and socially conservative.
Right on, Lydia
Nobody in politics in Iowa is saying any candidate should run solely on the issue of marriage. Not one person, including Bob Vander Plaats. He kind of is running on marriage alone – but something tells me he doesn’t really mean to. It is just happening.
I want to see each candidate’s plan to defeat Culver–not each other.
The one with the best plan, gets my vote.
Bob isn’t just talking about marriage but everyone defines him as the “marriage candidate” because he was the most vocal during the whole ruling of the supreme court. I heard him talk about education and the economy on his blogs just as much as marriage. He has been going around the state talking about marriage, the economy, healthcare, and education but people want to define him as “one-issue” because they want to marginalize him. He is a fi-con and a so-con. Some people who define him as “one-issue” need to read his blogs and fine that he is not a one-issue candidate.
Stacia,
BVP has been QUOTED as saying he’s “betting his entire campaign” around his position of making the executive order to stay the Varnum decision by the ISC….
Read it for yourself, Stacia….
http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20090713/OPINION03/907130310/Vander-Plaats-bets-it-all-on-executive-order
As a result, he’s painted himself as a “single issue” candidate… Sure, he might be talking about the economy and education and other stuff…but its being drowned out by the media focusing on the marriage issue with BVP’s candidacy–as the article I have linked to above clearly demonstrates.
As the TIR poll shows though..the marriage issue isn’t the number one thing on the minds of Iowans…jobs, economy and healthcare are. The “kitchen table” core issues that the Democrats beat Republicans on the past few election cycles…
Granted, the TIR poll does show people clearly want to vote on the marriage issue…however, I think an interesting question that I wonder if the poll asked would be this–
What issue do you want a candidate for Governor to focus on?
Jobs and Unemployment
Position on Same Sex Marriage
The Economy
Health Care
That would be data that would be very interesting to see right now, Craig…..
HawkCR1
Why do we have to focus on one issue? I’ve been involved in a number of campaigns, and none of them have focused on only one issue. The polling data is quite clear, the fundamental things that we as Republicans stand for, the majority of Iowans also stand for.
We need our candidates to talk about job creation, sound budgeting practices, limiting the size of government, and giving all Iowans the opportunity to vote on the issue of marriage.
Its not an either/or situation, its an and/also situation that all Republicans should welcome.
HawkCR1- Hey, when 70% of Iowans want to vote on the marriage issue it better be a part of your campaign. It would be dumb to put voting on marriage on the backburner according to the results of the poll. Do you think if Bob is governor that he would be liberal on fiscal issues. That is crazy. I heard him speak about companies leaving Iowa because Iowa isn’t a pro-business state under the Democratic leadership. Huckabee has an endorsement short video of Bob on his Pac website today. View it here: http://www.huckpac.com/?Fuseaction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=2709 He gives a short summary of why Bob would be a good candidate.
Craig,
I completely agree that we need our candidates to talk about other issues.. My point to Stacia is that in the case of BVP..the media isn’t going to pay attention to ANYTHING other than the marriage issue in regards to his campaign!
Especially when BVP HIMSELF says that he’s “betting his entire campaign” around the marriage issue. That right there is a prescription for the media to immediately label BVP the “single issue” candidate..and not even pay attention to any other ideas or positions he takes on other issues.
If we’re going to win back Terrace Hill..saying that your “betting” your entire campaign around a single issue isn’t the smart move…
I’m getting concerned that we’ve gone almost 24 hours on this web site without a Fong hit piece. Someone is slipping.
HCR1: The nice thing about “the media” – especially traditional print media – is that it’s dying (case in point, the DMR, which is effectively in hospice care, may it rest in peace). Candidates have so many other ways of getting their messages out today, such as blogs and websites as Stacie points out with the YouTube link.
Newspapers are not mediating messages to the public the way they once did. They are not as relevant, and the public is just not that into them anymore. Nor are people local or national news they way they once did to get their daily dose of information, so it doesn’t matter if the media” is stuck or can only focus one “dementedly” on a candidate or a storyline. Thus, a candidate, such as BVP, can shape his own message and image as he is doing. He is not at the mercy of the media to mediate him to the voters. Yes, he will be known as the marriage candidate who tried to stand up to an activist court run amok, but he will also be known as the candidate who is also talking about an Iowa with a fiscally sound future.
And to add to my two cents, TIR’s poll on the issues that Iowans are concerned about is far more credible than a poll that a GROSS amount of money was spent on by a former losing gubernatorial candidate.
Stacia, sorry, I goofed on your name…
“Republicans are about trusting people to make their own decisions, while Democrats believe that government is best suited to make decisions for people.” Really? Except when it comes to reproductive decisions?
Also, why would you bother to poll on abortion opinions but not same sex marriage opinions? It doesn’t make sense.
It seems that this poll makes clear that the importance of issues is as follows:
1) Jobs (i.e., the economy);
2) The Economy (i.e., the economy);
3) Healthcare (i.e., citizens’ pocketbooks, i.e. the economy, and
4) Education.
These all seem to be issues that favor the Democrats. I am interested to see if (or which) Republican candidates are able to stake out a positive position on these issues.
Soup,
Yes, the exception is reproductive decisions that snuff out innocent lives. Democrats are all about protecting everyone, even criminals, all while letting the innocents die (because they can’t vote yet).
Funny how that works, huh?
Lydia-No, I don’t think it is funny that Republicans only trust white, straight men to make their own decisions. I think it will cost them the election and eventually the party.
I am relatively certain that voting for whether or not people can marry is very anti-republican. I would love to hear an argument that could explain to me why it’s my business what other people do. Iowa is not California, where everything has to be voted on. Here we have a constitution that guarantees rights for all of it’s citizens. Be happy in that and move on. Making an issue out of gay marriage is missing the point.
The rights of a minority group should never be put up to popular vote. The constitution of Iowa and US guarantees equality for everyone. Attempting to strip people of their rights simply because they were born a little different is dehumanizing of those forced to be second class citizens.