The Associated Press examines the supposedly flagging fights for marriage equality in New York and New Jersey, interpreting them in the context of gay and Democratic defeats on November 3.  But are some legislators underestimating the cost of inaction on marriage equality bills?

The prevailing wisdom now, according to the AP, is that some Democrats are wary of supporting bills in what they see as a changing political climate:

But since the election, key Democrats have said they don’t intend to put the bill up for a vote unless they know it will pass. And so far, they say, that’s not assured. On Monday, when lawmakers met for the first time since the election, the issue was in legislative limbo — not scheduled but not declared dead either.

Len Deo, president of the conservative New Jersey Family Policy Council, said he believes some lawmakers who were undecided before the election would now vote against a gay marriage bill.

“Observing what happened in the general election, I think that took the wind out of the sails of the same-sex marriage movement,” he said.

A political scientist at Hunter College in New York provided an alternate assessment, saying that “It’s not as if politicians only have to fear an enraged group of people opposed to gay rights. Politicians also have to be concerned about angry supporters of gay rights.”