Gay Marriage/Civil Unions in 10 years

[Lunar]

First time gay marriage has come through the legislative process in the US, and overriding a veto at that.

[Lunar]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/07/dc-recognizes-gay-marriage/

DC decided to recognize gay marriage certificates given in other states

[Lunar]

who cares.  He delayed the bill like, what, two weeks?  

This sort of thing could positively impact the odds of getting Democratic governors in states like HI, CA, CT, RI, as well as VT since it demonstrates the partisan influence a governor could have  during the campaign.  On the converse, it isn't likely to affect Democratic governorships of red and purple states as the conservative state legislatures are unlikely to try to pass a gay marriage bill.  

Previously gay marriage had only been implemented by "activist judges" -- something the governor has very little to do with

[Lunar]

Bah, just call it marriage and get it over with. What is their holdup, the eastern rural regions?

Pretty much.  Western Washington would almost certainly vote for gay marriage outright.  The legislature is worried that there's a risk of a reversal.  I think the risk is well under 50%, but they're waiting until they're pretty solid things can hold up at the polls.  Pretty open about it, too.

maybe the West should secede

[Lunar]

fine, maybe the West should invade and sodomize the people in the East

[Lunar]

LOL watch this ad:
http://www.politico.com/singletitlevideo.html?bcpid=1155201977&bctid=18852128001

the girl looks like she's not going to have a choice indeed


"My freedom will be taken away [by the gays]"

[Lunar]

LOL watch this ad:
http://www.politico.com/singletitlevideo.html?bcpid=1155201977&bctid=18852128001

the girl looks like she's not going to have a choice indeed


"My freedom will be taken away [by the gays]"

this video is a must watch after that:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/Auditioning_against_marriage.html



WOW

[Lunar]

sounds like somebody is getting their cake and sodomizing it too

[Lunar]

Are 31% of adults in NY age 18-34 like the poll has? That seems a little high.

its possible new york has a high minority population but i dont think its a good poll either, but that doesnt mean that new yorkers dont support gay marriage its quite possible. and as for your comment about this being a adults poll instead of likely voter, you do know minorities are the ones less likely to turnout and i would imagine minorities are more likely to reject gay marriage then whites.

at least, they'd be less likely to pressure their own legislators one way or another on this issue

this isn't a referendum, yo

[Lunar]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/22/maine-gay-marriage-bill-g_n_190029.html

AUGUSTA, Maine — A public hearing on allowing gay marriage in Maine has opened with a standing ovation for the bill's sponsor.

Sen. Dennis Damon received a roar of approval at a crowded hearing Wednesday when he said the time has come to recognize same-sex marriages.

He says his proposal "recognizes the worth of every man and woman among us." It is backed by 60 co-sponsors.

Gay rights activists have set a goal of establishing same-sex marriage in all six New England states by 2012. They're already halfway there.

The bill's prospects are uncertain in Maine. Gov. John Baldacci previously opposed the bill but now says he's keeping an open mind.

[Lunar]

Well, I don't think [well, I hope] Baldacci would pull a Douglas.  Why tank his popularity as he's retiring?  Just because he's opposed to something doesn't mean he has to veto it.

Maine might get gay marriage before New York.

[Lunar]

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/blog/blogs/on-maine-politics/should-legislators-send-the-gay-marriage-bill-to-voters

It’s safe to say House Speaker Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, and Rep. Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, don’t agree on much.

But they did agree on one thing Tuesday at the gay marriage hearing.

Lawmakers should take an up or down vote on the bill and not send it out to voters, both of them said during the hearing. There’s been hallway chatter that some legislators might want to skip a legislative vote and put the bill on a ballot for Mainers to decide.

If it’s passed by lawmakers, it may end up there anyway via a people’s veto. But Pingree and Davis made it clear legislators need to have enough backbone to vote on the issue, one way or another.

Here’s what Pingree had to say:

“Lastly, we want to remind you that as the people’s representatives, it is our job to listen to all the evidence presented before us, discuss the issues thoughtfully, argue respectfully, and come to a decision.  It is our responsibility to take a stand.  We have signed onto this important legislation because we believe sending this issue out to referendum is an abdication of our responsibility as participants in representative government.  We should have the courage to vote our conscience on behalf of the people of Maine.”

And Davis made this statement: “I believe if you sent this out to a public vote, it’s a way for squeamish legislators to let themselves off the hook.”

[Lunar]

Well, I don't think [well, I hope] Baldacci would pull a Douglas.  Why tank his popularity as he's retiring?  Just because he's opposed to something doesn't mean he has to veto it.

Maine might get gay marriage before New York.

Baldacci is already unpopular. He only won reelection in 2006 because his opponent was a fundy kook (and then only barely because the moderates voted for Barbara Merrill). But he did probably oppose gay marriage strictly for electoral purposes; Baldacci is that kind of politician, just a hack who only supports things which will get him elected.

https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2006&fips=23&f=0&off=5&elect=0

That sounds like Norm Coleman.  

Not really.  Coleman wasn't very good at drifting to the idealogical center

[Lunar]

GO MAINE GO

[Lunar]

No. He's been silent on the issue. I don't think he expected the Senate to pass the bill. There are some indications that the Democratic Senators (in the end, just one or two) who voted against the bill did so to spare Lynch a "tough" political decision. That is, he might only get 65% of the vote in 2010 if he doesn't veto it

he'll probably just not sign it and let it become law...

[Lunar]

It certainly seems like the House isn't the problem in Maine, with a 2-1 Democratic majority; the Senate is a lot closer (20-15), and Baldacci is on the fence.

The Senate just passed it... 20-15

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/newsupdate.php?updates/gay-marriage-passes-on-first-vote

And the Gov. has shown he's going to sign it:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/10699/an-unexpected-conversation-with-the-governor

here's some quotes:


I was extremely impressed by the arguments for both sides, but especially by the proponents.
They were very respectful- I liked that they turned their backs when they disagreed.

I was truly impressed by the people who spoke for the bill.

I was opposed to this for a long time, but people evolve, people change as time goes by.

[Lunar]

looks like ME will be the next state, and the second state to legislatively, pass gay marriage!

New Hampshire's next, let's go!

[Lunar]

This will be followed by a referendum in Maine, almost certainly... it's going to get ugly but at least this time the pro-marriage side will be organized instead of dropping the ball like in California.

"An amendment aimed at putting the bill to referendum failed amid a debate in which one legislator said that Pontius Pilate had put Christ's fate to a referendum."

[Lunar]

And in my opinion one of the reasons the No on 8 campaign lost was that it was horribly mismanaged.  They didn't figure out until towards the end that they should be zeroing in on more than just old white people.  Even then, it was bad.  There was one ad narrated by Samuel Jackson, for example, but I didn't even realize it was him until like the fourth time I heard the ad -- if they had shown him actually talking it would have been fare more powerful.

Maine is a lot less demographically complex, I don't think the pro-marriage people will need mixed messaging

[Lunar]

I could comment further on No On 8, but I probably shouldn't.  It makes me sad thinking how basic concepts of messaging were managed.  Basically, they were overly concerned with being politically correct (basically too much emphasis on representing the entire rainbow of the community instead of the most accessible parts).


http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/05/gay-marriage-gets-another-asse.html

Interesting url lol.... anyway, Fred Thiele is the fifth Republican in the chamber to support gay marriage!


What what

[Lunar]

So Maine is the fifth state to allow gay marriages

More importantly, it is the second state to do so legislatively, and the first non-crazyvermont one

It's a state that McCain and Obama ran ads in!  Holy crap!

[Lunar]

[Lunar]

So, how's the gay marriage movement going in South Carolina?  We got the first two primary states out of the way.

[Lunar]

It's just a reaffirmation of the first amendment.

I like it, since it gives people like Lynch and other people a "way out" for a "compromise" position.

[Lunar]

Oh man. Marion Barry and Chaffetz are the only ones fighting to stop DC. And they think they'll win, especially cause Obama "supports them" or something. Delicious.

you might be interested in this thread:
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=91362.0


Obama's position is so hilariously wishy-washy.  "I oppose gay marriage, but I oppose efforts to  oppose it"  -- I have to wonder if 50% of the public's acceptance of his position isn't based off of race -- he has to oppose gay marriage because he's a religious black guy!