A sampling on this topic:
Clack: Georgians Overwhelmingly Approve Of Discrimination
***DDtB: The Morning After The Night Before
Josh Claybourn’s Domain | Election 2004: The Unspoken Undercurrent Via ***DDtB, – a cogent argument that it’s all about the morals. And also it’s all about the simplicity, too.
Make the message simple, effective, and scary, and you will do well in this country politically. You’ve got two politico-cultural moeities in this country – faith-based and reality-based – and you’ve got to make your message easy for the former to believe, and difficult for the latter to disprove.
Which, of course, this administration has down to a science. But anyway, back to the topic of gay marriage/civil union/basic human rights for gay people.
I’m horrified by the election results, because I sense the rancor and rejection behind the 11 states’ amendments passing by such large margins – and then I think of the many gay friends and acquaintances I’ve known all my adult life, and feel a twinge of fear for them. How are they all doing? I feel this need to try to contact them and comfort them.
Apparently, all the facts and refutations and reiterations of policy bungles and economic stumbles that were raised by the Dems in their campaign against the administration mean nothing against the hot button issues of the Religious Right: gay marriage and abortion. Apparently, all those mega-churches full of moral-issues voters were more than enough to make up for the increased numbers of newly registered voters signed up via the auspices of America Coming Together and other groups.
It’s no coincidence that the 4,000,000 margin of (ugh) victory in the popular vote is almost exactly the number of missing evangelicals who failed to vote for Bush in 2000. Karl Rove has been working toward getting out the evangelical vote ever since.
I don’t know if it’s possible for the Rest of Us – that is, those of us who are not marching in spiritual lockstep – to step up and act as the Loyal Opposition and work for bipartisanship, because the other side views everyone Not Like Them as anathema. The middle way is probably the only viable way for us to go now. And keep working for positive change, increased rights for gays and everyone, and try to keep abortion safe and legal.
However, it appears likely that more anti-gay state amendments are in the cards – I don’t think it’s just about marriage or civil union or domestic partner benefits anymore. So The Rest of Us have got our work cut out to keep gay civil rights from being eroded further, and to reach out to moderate Republicans whose own families and friends rights’ are at risk.
I’m joking here about “the coming moral cleansing.”
I hope.
I hope so, too. What surprised me most was the low voter turnout in the 18-29 demographic–something like 17%. I should email you. I always have problems with your comment feature. Probably my dial-up service.