Minnesotans don't support same sex "marriage", especially outstate Minnesotans according to Star Tribune Poll.

Here's a shocker, a Star Tribune poll found that 53% support the current one man, one woman marriage law while only 38% want it changed to recognize same sex couples.  An overwhelming 73% of outstate Minnesotans like marriage just the way it is.  A big proponent of gay "marriage", the Star Tribune usually produces polls which mirrors it's views on the issue.  It's surprising seeing them produce one which doesn't.

A majority of Minnesotans oppose legalizing same-sex marriage, the Star Tribune Minnesota Poll has found.

Fifty-three percent of Minnesotans say the state statute banning same-sex unions should stand. Only 38 percent say legislators should overturn the law this year, while 9 percent are undecided.

The new poll offers a fresh snapshot of an issue that has deeply divided the state. It was just five months ago that Minnesotans rejected a proposal to put the ban into the state’s Constitution. Legislators now are considering bills that would make gay marriage legal.

House Speaker Paul Thissen said he found the poll results surprising, with stronger opposition than has been seen in other samplings.

“There have been a number of polls on the issue. The trend in general is moving toward acceptance of marriage equality,” said Thissen, a Minneapolis DFLer. “There will certainly be more conversation on this. Our members are talking to their constituents, which is more important than any poll.”

The poll of 800 Minnesotans, taken Feb. 25-27, shows that resistance is strongest in outstate Minnesota. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Outstate, 73 percent respondents oppose allowing gay couples to legally wed in Minnesota, with only 27 percent favoring such unions or undecided.

That 73 percent should give out state legislators pause if they were thinking of voting to redefine marriage.

Strib tries to subtly tilt public perception on homosexual marriage with new poll.

The headline for a new Star Tribune poll story suggest the paper is trying to spin the results in favor of homosexual marriage. In the polling question and the article headings, "A Subtle Shift on Gay Unions" and "A Slight Opinion Shift", the paper suggests there's a shift in the direction of same sex marriage, but nothing in the poll results or story substantiates that assertion.

The poll is a follow up to a 2004 poll which found 58% of Minnesotans would have voted for a marriage amendment. You'd think if they wanted to test a change in public opinion they would have asked the same question today, five years later. No, they didn't. (Maybe they were concerned that the results hadn't changed or had gotten worse.)

Instead they ask people a convoluted question:

"As you may know, the Iowa Supreme Court recently legalized same-sex marriage in that state by declaring unconstitutional a state law defining marriage as between a man a and a woman. Do you believe Minnesota should pass a state constitutional amendment prohibiting same -sex marriage or legalize same-sex marriage or make no changes in its marriage laws and leave it to the Minnesota Supreme Court to interpret the state Constitution?"

Instead of asking whether people support or oppose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, they ask the above convoluted question with the word "prohibiting" and giving the people the option of leaving it up to the court. It really results in a confusing and unclear poll.

And when you read the story there's nothing to suggest why there's even grounds for saying there's even a subtle shift.

In fact, I wonder if the opposite case can be made because only 25% support legalizing same sex marriage, that would mean the other 75% either oppose legalizing same sex marriage or have no opinion. Since only 7 or 8 percent had no opinion or refused on other questions, that suggests upwards of two thirds of Minnesotans are opposed to legalizing same sex marriage; comparable to a statewide poll we did 4 years ago.

The Star Tribune has a reputation for poll results biased against conservative political candidates. This poll suggests the same is true regarding issues like homosexual marriage.