Sound Shore

It’s Thursday. We’re inching closer to the long holiday weekend. Here’s a glance at opinion content published today:

Greg Ball and gay marriage: Editorial
We comment on the political mechanics and arm-twisting that led to the state Senate’s 33-29 vote to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. In particular, we assess state Sen. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, who, as The New York Times reported, sought campaigning assistance from high-profile Republican conservatives, including former Vice President Dick Cheney. We write:

… Ball explained himself in an email, the blog reported: “As far as Cheney, we suggested the need to have nationally prominent conservatives ready to support moderate Republicans willing to support either civil unions or marriage equality, in tough primaries. Hopefully they listened, because some of these voting yes are going to have a tough re-election fight.”

No one ever said that standing on principle would be easy, though Gov. Cuomo might beg to differ. A new Quinnipiac University poll put his approval rating at 64 percent — far higher than ratings for six other governors in recent surveys, including New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, touted by some as presidential material.

Cuomo’s support stood at 53 percent among Republicans, 63 percent among union households and 62 percent among Catholics. He has been at odds with all three groups on various policy issues — and still enjoys significant support.

Perhaps there is a leadership lesson in those findings as well: Do what you think is right — the voters appreciate that, too.

More opinion
Kill this bill: Editorial, Daily News
Teacher evaluations must be worked out: Editorial, Poughkeepsie Journal