Why Gay Marriage Won't Be a Hot Issue in 2008 Race

Same-sex marriage was a big issue in 2004 and may have nudged the Democrats towards defeat, Karen Breslau writes in Newsweek. The issue is back in the spotlight this election year but she can think of four big reasons why it won't matter as much:

• Public opinion is shifting toward favoring gay marriage, or at least civil unions.
• John McCain is a maverick on social issues and doesn't seem inclined to make same-sex unions a battleground.

• With economic worries mounting and the Iraq war dragging on, gay marriage is way down the list of most voters' priorities
• The issue isn't as partisan anymore: The California court that overturned a ban on same-sex marriages is Republican-dominated.

(More gay marriage stories.)