Bill Keller on Marriage Equality: Conservatives Face a "Fast Moving Tide"

Rachel Maddow says a story in the New York Times Magazine this weekend is exactly what the country needs to start a debate about whether marriage equality is on its way to becoming law nationally.

Maddow interviewed Bill Keller, the story's author and former executive editor for the Times, about the speed with which approval for marriage equality is growing.

Keller points out that within the last six months, national polls began consistently showing majority support for same-sex marriage. He notes that experts once predicted gains of about 1 point or so each year, "but it's already three or four percent a year. It's changing at a very rapid rate."

Young people are a big source of the change in sentiment. Keller warns that conservatives "are swimming against against a fairly fast moving tide."

"I think the contours of that tide are under appreciated," Maddow said.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy