This morning's Baltimore Sun headlined the results of its latest poll on the referendums on marriage equality and the Dream Act. Link is here.
On marriage equality, 46% are for and 47% are against. This poll is very disappointing to those of us who support marriage equality, as the previous Sun poll, conducted last month, showed 49% to 39% support for marriage equality, and progressive Marylanders such as myself were confident Maryland would become the first state to approve marriage equality in a statewide referendum.
The Sun blamed the switch on recent opposition from black voters. In last month's poll, a majority of black voters supported marriage equality, but now 50% are opposed and 42% are in favor. Of weekly church goers, 70% are opposed. (This weekly synagogue goer is proud to state that my synagogue, along with most if not all non-Orthodox synagogues, support marriage equality.)
The Dream Act is also a close call, but, unlike marriage equality, every previous poll has showed it to be a close call. 47% are in favor, 45% are opposed. Most blacks support the Dream Act. Not surprizingly, in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties voters overwhelmingly support the Dream Act, and the red counties - everything outside the Baltimore-DC metro area, plus exurbia Frederick, Carroll, and Harford, oppose it. What is surprizing is that the Baltimore metro area opposes the Dream Act 45% to 49%.
The good news is that President Obama is ahead 55% to 36%. Wish this were true for the whole country.