By a margin of 51% - 47%, the latest CNN polling is the most recent in a string of polls showing that Americans' attitudes have shifted to support of marriage equality.
CNN: Do you think marriages between gay and lesbian couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?
Valid: 51%
Not Valid: 47%
Sample: 824 adults.
There have been at least three other national polls taken in 2011 asking about marriage equality. Here's the results of each of those polls.
ABC/WaPo: "On another subject, do you think it should be legal or illegal for gay and lesbian couples to get married? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?"
Legal: 53%
Illegal: 44%
Sample: 1005 adults
Pew: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally?"
Favor: 45%
Oppose: 46%
Sample: 1504 adults
General Social Survey: "Do you agree or disagree? Homosexual couples should have the right to marry one another."
Agree: 46%
Disagree: 40%
Sample size: 1262 adults
Two of these polls show full blown majorities, one a significant plurality, and one effectively a tie. Of course each of them asks the question in a different way, but if we are willing to put that aside and average all the polling results together we get:
2011 marriage equality polling average:
Support marriage equality: 48.75%
Do not support equality: 44.25%
Sample size: 4595
There is little doubt about it -- the American public does support marriage equality. Further, poll after poll's crosstabs have shown that younger adults support marriage equality in greater numbers than older adults, leading to the unsurprising observation that, as time goes by, support for marriage equality is very likely to continue to increase.
This does not mean, by the way, that the voting public necessarily supports marriage equality. Polls that sample registered voters or likely voters may show results that are a bit less favorable than those that sample adults, especially because young people are far less likely to vote. However, all the national polls on this issue all seem to sample adults, regardless of their voter registration status.
It's time for the one American who represents us all -- not just voters -- and whose opinion on this issue has more influence than any other, to embrace the fact that the DNA of the American people is now shaped to support equality for all. President Obama, it's time to finish evolving!