DADT in NC

We've seen a lot of national polling recently showing support for allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military but we wondered- would that hold true even in a military heavy, historically conservative southern state like North Carolina?

The answer is yes. 50% of North Carolinians support repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' compared to 40% who are opposed to it. Most notably 59% of independents favor letting gays serve openly even as they simultaneously express majority disapproval of Barack Obama. This is not nearly the party line issue that something like health care is- while just 5% of Republicans support the President's agenda on that 26% of them are for scrapping DADT.

Public opinion on gays in the military reflects the growing progressivism of North Carolina's population. Rural voters are strongly opposed to it but their proportion of the electorate is declining while suburbia's share rises, and suburban voters strongly favor allowing gays to serve openly. Republicans will probably have a good year in the state this time around but that doesn't change the fact that the state is moving gradually away from some of its more conservative attitudes.

Full results here