SACRAMENTO -
For the first time ever, a statewide survey reports a majority of California voters favor gay marriage - a finding that pollsters describe as a milestone driven by younger people.
The Field Poll result, released today, shows the highest level of support in more than three decades of polling Californians on the hot-button issue of same-sex marriage laws.
The poll found 51 percent of registered voters favor the idea of allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed, while 42 percent disapprove.
What's driving the dramatic shift upward toward support for inclusion? You guessed it:
Californians age 18-29 favor the idea of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry by a greater than two to one margin (68% to 25%). Those in the 30-39 age group also approve of such marriages by 24 percentage points. However voters age 65 or older disapprove by a wide margin (55% to 36%).
The next generation doesn't simply approve of gay marriage; it does so by a massive majority. The poll suggests an Obama-Clinton-style generation gap - and an Obama candidacy this fall will surely increase the number of these demographics in the California voting this fall.
The key to the shift can be seen among independents. They fall much closer to the Democrats than to the Republicans on this issue (61 percent of independents and 67 percent of Democrats back marriage equality, while 69 percent of Republicans oppose it). And the attempt to label this reformist measure as "far left" has not caught on.
Voters who describe themselves as middle-of-the-road in politics approve of allowing same-sex marriage 53% to 35%.