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Opinion: Barack Obama locks up supporters of same-sex marriage. Mitt Romney not so much.

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In her losing presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton received lots of money from people who support same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage supporters have given Barack Obama tons of money, too.

John McCain has received a little from people who support same-sex marriage.

However, Republican also-ran Mitt Romney, perhaps the nation’s best-known Mormon after Harry Reid, got zero. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has led the drive to block same-sex marriage nationally and in California.

The Ticket comes to this conclusion after counting campaign donations from people who gave to the 2008 presidential candidates and comparing the list against contributors for and against California’s Proposition 8.

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That’s the high-profile initiative on the Nov. 4 ballot that....

...would ban same-sex marriage by creating a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and woman, overturning a court ruling that allows it.

Here’s what we found, with a major assist from Times researcher Maloy Moore:

Obama received $486,760 from foes of Proposition 8. Those individuals have given $1.462 million to defeat Proposition 8 and thus support same-sex marriage.

Obama received a mere $6,248 from people who have given $22,900 in support of Proposition 8.

There is no cap on donations to a California initiative. Obama donor Bruce Bastian of Utah gave $1 million to defeat Proposition 8. Bastian has given $2,300 to Obama for president, which is the per-election maximum under federal law.

Obama says he opposes the initiative but also says marriage should be between a man and woman.

McCain is somewhat more mixed. He received $9,635 from people who have given $54,450 to oppose the initiative, and $34,639 from individuals who have donated $72,565 in support of Proposition 8.

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McCain has said he would vote for Proposition 8, but doesn’t go as far as some foes of same-sex marriage. He has opposed a U.S. constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and woman, saying it should be left up to the states.

Clinton’s donors have given the most to defeat Proposition 8. In her primary campaign, Clinton received $308,000 from people who have given $2.437 million to kill the initiative, and thus support the concept of same-sex marriage.

Clinton collected $3,620 from supporters of Proposition 8. Those individuals gave only $11,050 to the measure.

Then there’s Romney.

People who donated $420,690 to his presidential campaign have given no less than $2.72 million in support of Proposition 8. We could find no donations to Romney for president from people who oppose the initiative.

Joe Biden, Obama’s vice presidential pick, was barely a blip. In his short-lived run for the White House, Biden raised $6,900 from people who have donated $8,000 to defeat Proposition 8.

--Dan Morain

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