Conserva-whatnow?

In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free registration required), guest columnist Todd Young writes in defense of the proposition that conservative values are becoming the norm in America. In support of his claim, he cites recent survey data:

In a CBS News national poll taken in February, 59 percent of Americans supported constitutional amendments protecting traditional marriage and 62 percent opposed laws that would give same-sex partners a marriage license and the same legal status as traditionally married couples.

Now, I agree that those numbers suggest a broad (if not necessarily deep) opposition on the part of Americans to allowing same-sex couples to obtain civil marriages.

But, little Sherman, hop in your mental Way-Back Machine, and set the dial back 30 years to 1974 (hardly the high water mark for American conservatism). If you were to grab some schmoe off the street and tell him, "By 2004, 38% of people polled will support a law allowing men to marry other men," do you think his reaction would be, "My goodness, conservative values have certainly triumphed in your day, O terrifying man from the future!"? Yeah, me neither.