The Benefit for High Obama Turnout in California

Barack Obama's success in California may have an unexpected benefit - the passage of Prop 8 which would end the newly discovered "right" to gay marriage in the Golden State:

In this historic presidential election year, political observers say high voter turnout for Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama -- who is predicted to draw record numbers of church-going African Americans and Latinos -- may spell the demise of legal gay marriage in California.

"Maybe people don't want to talk about it, but it is definitely a major issue," said Stringfellow. "They feel [gay marriage] takes away from the image of the strong, black family. I think it's a shame that those of us who are gay or bisexual and want to be responsible for our families are not even allowed to because family members see our contributions as less and counter to the black culture."

ABC has a lengthy article which seems more than a little bit slanted towards a defense of gay marriage, but it will give you the challenge facing Prop 8 opponents. Gay marriage has consistently polled rather badly among both Latino and Black church-goers, and if they turn out in large numbers to support Obama, they could push Prop 8 over the top.