Poll: Black Dems near GOP on moral issues

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Republicans and black Democrats in the United States are in near agreement on the moral acceptability of homosexual relations, a Gallup Poll indicates.

Only 31 percent of black Democrats said gay relations were morally acceptable while 31 percent of Republicans agreed with that position, Gallup results released Wednesday indicated. Sixty-one percent of non-black Democrats said they found same-sex relations morally acceptable.

The fact that black Democrats more closely align with Republicans on this issue is significant, given that blacks overwhelmingly identify themselves as Democrats, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Gallup reported 65 percent of blacks identify themselves as Democrats and 16 percent said they leaned toward that party. Only 5 percent identified themselves as Republican. Yet, on a number of moral issues, such as gay relations, blacks are aligned more closely with Republican views.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 3,022 adults conducted in May 2006, May 2007 and May 2008. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.