Gay Marriage Referendum Coming to Minnesota

[RI]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/minnesota-gay-marriage-ban-vote_n_865334.html

Vote takes place along with the 2012 general election. Any chance Minnesota becomes the first state to approve gay marriage, or at least defeat a ban? With the structure and the nature of the DFL coalition, I have to think that gays will lose here too.

[RI]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/minnesota-gay-marriage-ban-vote_n_865334.html

Vote takes place along with the 2012 general election. Any chance Minnesota becomes the first state to approve gay marriage, or at least defeat a ban? With the structure and the nature of the DFL coalition, I have to think that gays will lose here too.

So by that you mean overwhelmingly white liberals?

Maybe in the Twin Cities, but I can't see Iron Range or Red River Valley Democrats supporting gay marriage.

[RI]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/minnesota-gay-marriage-ban-vote_n_865334.html

Vote takes place along with the 2012 general election. Any chance Minnesota becomes the first state to approve gay marriage, or at least defeat a ban? With the structure and the nature of the DFL coalition, I have to think that gays will lose here too.

So by that you mean overwhelmingly white liberals?

Maybe in the Twin Cities, but I can't see Iron Range or Red River Valley Democrats supporting gay marriage.

There is not a single major elected official in the Iron Range who doesn't support gay marriage. Duluth is one of three cities in Minnesota (You can probably guess the other two) to recognize domestic partnerships for unmarried couples living together, including homosexuals.

The Democrats in the Red River Valley are mostly the liberals and college kids in Moorhead. Sure there are olds and all in the rural counties, but they don't make up a very large percentage of the state.

Duluth will almost certainly vote for gay marriage. I could see St. Louis County going either way, though it will probably end up going as Duluth goes, but that isn't enough.

Regardless, I think we've seen in a number of states that the percentage of elected officials who support gay marriage at the state level tends to be higher than the percentage that gay marriage recieves in referenda locally.

Having the election in 2012 may allow it to ride Obama's coattails, but I'm still pessimistic about its chances.

[RI]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/minnesota-gay-marriage-ban-vote_n_865334.html

Vote takes place along with the 2012 general election. Any chance Minnesota becomes the first state to approve gay marriage, or at least defeat a ban? With the structure and the nature of the DFL coalition, I have to think that gays will lose here too.

Arizona already defeated a ban in 2006.

That was a special circumstance. The Arizona bill banned civil unions too and was in general worded poorly. Arizona banned gay marriage in 2008 anyway.