A little footnote to Jonathan Rauch’s comment that the marriage strategy is “exhausted and counterproductive”: according to a report from Connecticut,
A new poll says 53 percent of Connecticut residents support last week’s state Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay and lesbian marriages.
42% oppose it. When you think about what the numbers most likely would have been even five years ago, for a tired old strategy, it doesn’t seem all that counterproductive to me. It certainly seems more productive than waiting around for the majority to decide that it’s time we were allowed to marry.
This seems to be what Rauch favors:
Thanks to Andrew Sullivan.
[Reprinted from Hunter at Random.]
I apologize for going a bit off-topic in your comments, but I’m freaking out about the election so I’m basically spamming this everywhere. But I’m a real person not a bot, and I’m trying to counter the misinformation in a flier that was sent out to millions of Californian voters, so I hope you’ll put up with me.
I’m trying to get the word out about Barack Obama’s opposition to Proposition 8, a bill he calls “divisive and discriminatory.”
You may have seen a flier with Obama’s face all over it, and quotes from him implying (although never stating outright) that he supports the measure. Of course, Obama does oppose same-sex marriage in general.
But Barack Obama ALSO opposes Proposition 8. He says that if passed it would “roll back civil rights.”
Obama stated his opposition to Prop 8 way back in April, so the Prop 8 people know perfectly well that they are misleading the public by using Obama’s image and quotes in their ad. Obama’s statement read in part:
“I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.”
“For too long, issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us.”
“It’s time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect.”
“This is no less than a core issue about who we are as Democrats and as Americans.”
In reaction to the misleading Prop 8 ad, Obama’s camaign has stated:
“Senator Obama has already announced that the Obama-Biden ticket opposes Proposition 8 and similar discriminatory constitutional amendments that could roll back the civil rights he and Senator Biden strongly believe should be afforded to all Americans.”
Don’t let Senator Obama be misrepresented in the media! Please talk to your friends and family before election day about Obama’s opposition to Proposition 8.