NETWORK INDIANA _  The new Howey Politics Indiana poll finds 36 percent of the respondents back Senator Joe Donnelly‘s decision in support of gay marriage. 55 percent reacted negatively.

There‘s a sharp division between Donnelly‘s own Democratic Party and Republicans. 59 percent of the Democrats back the Senator‘s decision. Only 20 percent of the Republicans say Donnelly made the right decision.

Publisher Brian Howey says those who object may be responding to what they see as political gamesmanship, not expressing their own position on gay marriage. However, Howey says Donnelly may have nothing to worry about in that regard. He won‘t be up for re-election for five and a half years. The poll also found 83 percent supported the expanded background checks for the gun buyers bill that was defeated in the U.S. Senate. Howey says legislators talking about defense of the right to keep and bear arms may be misreading public sentiment.