Tony Perkins and FRC gins up poll to "prove" huge majority of GOP opposes marriage equality

Hate group leader Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council are at it again.

Via press release, Perkins attempts to allay fears that Republicans could actually be softening on same-sex marriage. Oh, the horror!

Today, Family Research Council (FRC) and American Values released the results of a commissioned national survey conducted by Wilson Research Strategies showing that 82 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning independents believe marriage "should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman." 74 percent strongly agreed with this statement.

The same survey found that the voters want their elected leaders to promote this view in public policy: 75 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters disagree that "politicians should support the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples." 67 percent strongly disagreed with this statement.

FRC President Tony Perkins made the following comments in response to the survey:

"Republican voters continue to resist the demands of cultural elites who want to see the party abandon the very core values that gave rise to American exceptionalism. The vast majority of the GOP base continues to believe that marriage is a non-negotiable plank of the national platform and want to see their elected officials uphold natural marriage as the national standard, a goal to stand for, encourage and promote in law.

"The results of this survey are no surprise especially considering what has taken place in recent months. Republican voters, like everyone else, have seen that redefining marriage is really about fundamentally altering all of society. Redefining marriage undermines our fundamental freedoms of speech and religion and in the case of the Mozilla CEO, even the ability to engage in the democratic process without the fear of losing one's livelihood."

The problem with the FRC's poll is it doesn't jive with what's happening in reality OR other recent polls.

Remember, the FRC paid for their poll using  a right-leaning polling company.

According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll last month, 54% (not 82%) of Republicans oppose same-sex marriage.  Forty percent of Republicans support the freedom to marry.

I guess Tony can at least feel he "got what he paid for" - a poll that shows what he wants it to show.