A Gallup Poll finds that 67% of Americans support repeating the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy — the policy Democrats tried to repeal yesterday but could not due to a Republican filibuster:
Lawmakers seeking to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy have a large majority of Americans behind them.
If they had an opportunity to vote on it, 67% of Americans say they would vote for a law that would allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military.
The finding, from a Gallup poll conducted Dec. 3-6, 2010, is consistent with previous Gallup surveys on the issue. More than 60% of Americans since 2005 have said they favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the U.S. military, including majorities of the most conservative segments of the population.
Most notable is the fact that the biggest opposition comes from conservatives Republicans — NOT from all Americans. I often refer to this segment of the GOP as the talk radio political culture which operates in terms of soundbites and were angry opposition is at a premium. But even here such a broad-brush generalization doesn’t work.
Currently the prime figure on the national stage vowing make sure it does not pass is Arizona Senator John McCain — the 2010 incarnation who is almost unrecognizable from the 2000 version. McCain increasingly seems to be a political figure who does not only oppose due to policy but seems to be truly angry or even trying to get even with some perceived former constituencies and in particular with the man who beat him the 2008 battle for the Presidential seat, Barack Obama. McCain keeps moving the goal post on this issue but most observes have now concluded: he real intent seems to do whatever he can to ensure the goal is not scored. It’s one more chapter in the political self-deconstruction of John McCain. More Gallup:
Rank-and-file Republicans currently are evenly divided on the issue, with the most opposition coming from conservative Republicans. Large majorities of Democrats, independents, and moderate and liberal Republicans are in favor.
So this is TRULY a case of a minority of Americans check-mating via Senate rules a policy overwhelmingly supported by most Americans.
Republicans — and conservative Republicans — are the only key demographic groups that do not express majority support for legislation allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.