There are two new polls out that look at the constellation of issues that include moral values and gay marriage, the first from Gallup and the other from Pew Research.

Gallup finds in a poll conducted May 8-11 that there is a significant number of all Americans who believe the state of moral values in the country is poor, but that view is hold the most strongly by Republicans. Forty-four percent of Americans say the state of moral values in the country is poor, 41 percent say “only fair,” 13 percent describe them as good and only 2 percent as excellent. Eighty-one percent say they are getting worse.

Fifty-one percent of Republicans rate moral values in the country as poor compared to 40 percent each for Democrats and independents. All of the groups are pretty much in agreement that things are getting worse.

Gallup says its polling since 2002 has consistently found this negative outlook about moral values and says “Republicans’ disaffection with the nation’s moral climate (but not Democrats’ or independents’) has been elevated over the past two years.”