This is what a blue state state looks like

56.8 percent of Michigan residents support same-sex marriage, according to a new poll from the Glengariff Group. That’s up 12.5 percent from a year ago largely due to a shift in the views of Republicans and independents.

In 2004, the state approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, even as it voted for John Kerry.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a policy question move as quickly as this one,” said Richard Czuba, president of Glengariff.

On the heels of Minnesota becoming the 12th state to legalize equal marriage, it seems that a candidate named “same-sex marriage” would easily beat Republican Governor Rick Snyder in a head-to-head match-up.

When he last commented on the issue, Snyder was for civil unions but against marriage equality, which was President Obama’s stance just about a year ago. But the political landscape has shifted as quickly as ice in the Arctic is melting.

Whoever Democrats nominate to face Snyder will immediately put the nerd in a pickle by endorsing same-sex marriage. If the governor doesn’t do the same, he’s breaking with the majority. If he does endorse it, he lose the minority who oppose modernity, also known as GOP primary voters.

This sudden acceptance of same-sex marriage is a huge victory for civil rights. But that it’s happening in Michigan, where 76.6 percent of voters were born and raised, shows that this isn’t some demographic shift.

This issue is becoming a comment on the role of government. For all their talk of smaller government, the GOP — especially in Michigan — wants to privatize the public and publicize your privates.

We can see that voters aren’t buying into the latter part of that formula. Now we just need to educate them about why the former is so dangerous for the middle class.

[Photo by ep_jhu | Flickr]