The conventional wisdom is that creepy, right wing, Christianists (as one blogger notes us) dominate the GOP and make the party unappealing to independents.
But if that's the case, how is it that nearly every state where the people vote on gay marriage they always vote against it.
Last night, even the liberal enclave of Maine, home to various liberal republicans voted against it.
It would seem to me that it's the pro gay marriage democrats who are out of the mainstream of what the public supports.
But I bet you won't here that CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN or Fox News tonight.
2 comments:
I don't think people get it. In these votes, I don't think people are rejecting gay marriage. They are rejecting in-your-face activism. It doesn't matter what the activism is about. And it's not an ideaological rejection.
Here is a similar parallel: Take the Pledge of Allegience. Many people want to take "under God" out of the Pledge. But 90% of Americans support that phrase. Are they "non-progressive"? Think about this though. What if some Alabama religious activist proposed adding "...and Jesus..." into The Pledge. I believe you would have 90% of the people reject that idea as well. Would that make 90% of the people "progressive"? Or do most people just not want activism thrown in their face from the right or left. People object to this type of thing being pushed on them regardless of who it is.
I suspect the masses really don't care whether two boys make a commitment and call it a marriage. I count myself in that group. But trying to pass a LAW that dictates that others must accept someone else's personal belief is pushy (activist). This is what people object to, not acceptance of gays.
Democrats have spent enormous amounts of energy on this. They think their enemy is just a bunch of bible thumpers. In fact the typical opponent is probably your average union guy, your african american church goer, your average soccer mom. Many are probably apolitcal.
They just don't want yet one more "progressive" law telling them what to think. And they don't even know that's the reason. They probably believe they themselves are being close minded homophobes and feel guilty about it. But the bottom line is it just doesn't seem right.
That's why these votes always fail.
That's an excellent take. I tell my friends conservatives didn't make gay marriage an issue. The left did.
Your metaphor for the Pledge is an excellent one.
I think that actually played out in the Terry Schiavo mess.
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