\nThe narrower DOMA case does not give the court the same opportunity to issue a broad ruling because the case relates only to a federal law that limits the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples for the purposes of federal benefits.<\/p>\n
Only the California Proposition 8 case gave the court the option of finding a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry. Polls show growing support among Americans for gay marriage.<\/p>\n
But during the argument, Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is considered a swing vote, raised concerns about the court entering \u201cuncharted waters\u201d on an issue that divides the states.<\/p>\n
Kennedy even raised the prospect of the court dismissing the case, a relatively unusual move that would leave intact a federal appeals court ruling that had earlier struck down the California law, known as Proposition 8.<\/p>\n
In a similar vein, Justice Samuel Alito also urged caution, noting that gay marriage, as a concept, is \u201cnewer than cellphones and the Internet.\u201d<\/p>\n