But just as Democrats were identifying Republican supporters, Mr. Christie's office sent word of another surprise on Tuesday: The governor announced that he believed same-sex marriage should be put before voters in November.
The British Social Attitudes survey showed the proportion of the UK population who believed same-sex relations were "always wrong" was 50% in 1983, rising – fuelled perhaps by the emergence of Aids – to 58% in 1990.
Mr. Bloomberg's commencement speech - which had been scheduled months in advance - allowed the mayor an opportunity to weigh in on an issue that dominated the national conversation last week, as President Obama announced that he believed same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.
Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that he believed same-sex marriages should be allowed in churches - but only if there was a "100%" guarantee that no church, synagogue or mosque would be forced to hold one against their wishes.
In a 2013 interview, Bush also said he believed same-sex marriage should "be a state-by-state issue".
But this changed in May, when President Barack Obama announced in an ABC News interview that he believed same-sex couples "should be able to get married".
Since Obama told ABC's Robin Roberts last month that he believed same-sex couples "should be able to get married," some gay Republicans have reconsidered their support for Romney.
It could also decline to review Prop 8. President Barack Obama last month turned gay marriage into a 2012 campaign issue, saying he believed same-sex couples should be able to marry.
More importantly, he believed same-sex desire in ancient Greece to have been acquired rather than congenital.
More women than men believe same-sex marriage is right.
