"...continue to deny to any gay person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

[jpmassar]

Looks like Maine will reject equal rights by as large or larger a margin than California did. Wow.

All that effort. All that organization. All those volunteers. All to absolutely no effect.

I guess we can concentrate on legalizing marijuana in 2010 in California now.

Comments

[bittercrackbaby]

If that's really the case, they screwed up in the same way that they did here. A couple election/referendum experts were on the local media here talking about how they failed to close the loop and message properly in the final days.

[jpmassar]

I suspect these 'experts' are using 20-20 hindsight and claiming things that just aren't true. Everyone loves to pontificate on why someone else failed.

The fact of the matter is that opponents have a message that resonates (teaching about homosexuality in schools), and no amount of logic, appeals to other emotions and principles, and claims that
opponents' claims are hogwash is going to shake it.

What's amazing is that even an enormous, well-organized get-out-the-vote effort couldn't improve the margin, let alone achieve victory.

[markgritter]

Even coming from a conservative Christian background I really have trouble understanding why it's 'gay marriage taught in schools' that seems to be such a winning message. Of course, my sect built their own schools because it was just *assumed* that the public schools wouldn't be teaching the right things.

I'm just not able to wrap my head around anybody on the margin. "Well, I'd be OK if 'the gays' can get married, as long as it's not portrayed as normal"?!? "... as long as my kid doesn't have to learn about it?" "... as long as they're still treated like second-class citizens in some way?"

It seems more like an excuse than a reason, i.e., people can't justify their anti-gay beliefs so they project that fear onto their children. Otherwise the success of the message makes no sense to me.

[jpmassar]

Most adults are uncomfortable with the notion of children learning about sex (witness fights about sex education classes), right ? So how much more uncomfortable must they be about children learning about 'deviant' sex ?

And yes, for those who do have anti-gay beliefs or those on the fence it provides a a 'legitimate' hook to base their opposition on.

[adb_jaeger]

And where was Obama during this fight?

Why wasn't he up in Maine pounding the table for this vote?

[kalimac]

I just saw this cartoon. Stunning.

[jpmassar]

Replace with pot smoking grandma and California on the mailbox?