McCain less popular among LGBTs than Bush

Standards toughen: A Harris Poll survey released Aug. 19 confirms the expected: Most LGBT voters -- 68 percent -- favor Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over Republican John McCain. But there were some surprises. First, 10 percent of LGBT voters appear to be backing McCain - who is widely considered one of the most pro-gay Republican presidential candidates in history. He has twice voted against a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and spoken against it on the floor of the Senate. And he has had cordial relations with Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay Republican group. Apparently, the LGBT community's standards have grown tougher. In 2000, 25 percent of gay voters supported George W. Bush even though he offered only one or two symbolic gestures of supporting gay equality. And in 2004, 23 percent of LGBT voters still supported President Bush's re-election even though he had established his hostility to same-sex marriage and his support of groups who were actively working against LGBT equality. The survey results were based on 178 self-identified LGBT people surveyed online between Aug. 1 and 7. They represented about six percent of the 2,834 adults surveyed overall - a percent two to three points higher than exit polls have indicated. The survey showed 15 percent of LGBT voters are still undecided, and seven percent favor independent candidates, such as Ralph Nader, Bob Barr and others.
McCain less popular among LGBTs than Bush