Maine's Question 1

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

This is a fun campaign to follow.

Nothing against you, of course, but I look at Question 1 as the exact opposite of fun.  Maybe it'd be more enjoyable to me if it was the other way around—an effort to right what was wrong.  Instead, it's an effort to return to an era of discrimination by public acclimation.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but the simple fact that the vote has to happen makes me really sick to my stomach.

[Holmes]

Of course it sucks that it's going to a vote, but you knew it was coming up. The other side would do anything they can to stop progress. I survived prop 8 last year, and we had marriage there. I'm not gonna feel bad for myself anymore because I know it's a waste of energy. The no on 8 side was so terrible and slow, and the yes on 8 side was really deceitful, I'm just glad we're doing well this time.

[Holmes]

WMTW tears into Yes on 1's TV ad. They smacked down the marriage in schools myth, and so did the Yes on 1 side! No on 1 had a law professor from Maine making their rebuttals.

First No on 1 Radio Ad. It's basically just sound clips from their TV ads. That's ridiculous!

Same-sex unions will only enhance the traditions of marriage
Same-sex couples are families, too
Congregation stands up for same-sex marriage

[Holmes]

http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=96623

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Here is No on 1's press release about their endorsement from the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians

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[Holmes]

Mmm, recycling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FijVUbUlV3s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7352ZVMKBQM

 this sh**t. Bad memories.

That teacher is a member of the SFMM group... teaches at a private Christian school.

[Holmes]

Two new No on 1 ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s3FURNG2wA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QLirv1-vBY

I wish they would get the teachers to actually say "no on 1"...

[Holmes]

http://www.democracycorps.com/wp-content/files/mesw092709fq1me.pdf

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This is better than the kos poll, in my opinion, because kos didn't include the fact that churches aren't forced to do anything, and this one says it. So yay, 9 point lead. But that doesn't mean anything unless we can get that 50% to the polls.

[Scam of God]

I have precious little doubt this will pass. The religious rubes and their yay-freedumb-except-for-you bumpkin allies have the motivation to vote; those who love liberty do not.

[Holmes]

Well, it's a good thing you're not leading the No on 1 campaign with that attitude...

I just read SSFM's "The threat to traditional marriage" posting on their site... they went so far as to say that the homosexual lobby repealed a Maine law that stated that children were the most important thing ever in the history of humanity or some dumb thing like that and that a yes vote will restore that law. I can't believe people will actually believe that sh**t. They wrote a lot of stupid talking points.

"We have nothing against the gays... we only bash them on our site when we think they're not reading!"

Quarterly fundraising numbers will be out soon... can't wait to see how much No on 1 made, and how much of Yes on 1's money comes from NOM+Church. Probably a lot.

[Lunar]

Yes On 1 is copying the Yes On 8 campaign from CA to the letter, except taking the attacks to the next level

the Maine campaign seems to be far less stupid than the No On 8 campaign and thankfully won't have to deal with white liberals' discomfort trying to reach out to minorities

[Lunar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QLirv1-vBY

I wish they would get the teachers to actually say "no on 1"...

that's still better messaging than ANY ad the No On 8 campaign in CA put out.

[Holmes]

Lunar didn't enjoy watching Feinstein read a scripted no on 8 message on his TV?

[Lunar]

Lunar didn't enjoy watching Feinstein read a scripted no on 8 message on his TV?

or Samuel Jackon's [difficult to tell it's him first watch of the ad] voice over trying to connect gay marriage to the Armenian genocide so that [presumably] black people will support it?  And this was really late in the campaign too when they realized they had a problem.

or watching 50 times the CA state superintendent giving scary ass dark ads on VH1 about how the other side's ad was lying, which I had never ever seen on that network, not that those ads would be appropriate for that network anyhow

All No On 8 had to do was fine preachers & reverends of all ethnicities, and cut targeted ads of the preachers/reverends/whomever saying they support gay marriage.  We would have won.

[Holmes]

Mm, yeah. No on 8 had a lot of options it could've used that they didn't. And they could've done what they did a bit less half ass-y... oh well.

Nate Silver gives No on 1 the advantage: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/10/analysis-gay-marriage-ban-is-underdog.html He says that his same model predicted prop 8 would get 54% but it got 52% so.. hm. Turn out is still most important though.

Religious Leaders Support No on One

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Coalition members also noted that throughout Maine's history, religious liberties have been both valued and protected under the law and that nothing in the new marriage equality law threatens that tradition.

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[/quote]

[Lunar]

that's exactly what I just said they should have done in CA

[Holmes]

I love reading comments from actual presumed voters that Maine has already voted against gay marriage in the past. Why are these people allowed to vote?

I wonder when the finance reports will come out.

[Holmes]

If this is really true, then they better get off their asses during this whole month to get them to vote early, or get them to the polls next month.

The campaign has identified 275,000 Mainers who favor the law, but they all have to actually vote, she said. In addition to television ads, the campaign is blitzing the state with people who are working to bring to people to the polls or, better yet, to get them to vote absentee.

People in Maine can register and vote in the same day. So No on 1 can and needs to go to campuses all over the state, bus a lot of students to polling places and get them to vote.

OUR MAN IN MAINE: Defeating Question 1 About Mobilizing Base - A volunteer talks about his first 2 days volunteering. October is all about volunteers making decided voters go absentee. I guess it's smart having all the out-of-state volunteers work in Portland and the locals in other areas.

[Holmes]

Here's a door to door canvassing script from yes on 1. It's kinda cute.

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I love how they always bring up how this bill will forever repeal a law that said marriage is good for children, or something. Which is not even true. I think they're referring to Maine 1997 DOMA, but all this bill does is include same-sex couples in marriage. sigh. But it's cute how they totally ignore the fact that children of same-sex couples exist, and go to school where they say all the time that hamasecksual marriage will be taught in class, despite everyone in Maine basically now knows that it won't.

[Holmes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izj7bCUE2Hg

idk. Children must be protected from the reality that gays exist and if you're a child of a same-sex couple, then feel ashamed and unnatural. Funny thing is that the guy in this video is a school guidance counselor... but personally I don't want anything to happen to him otherwise they'll play the victim card, and play it good.

Also calling that teacher of the year in No on 1's ads a gay activist + again using exaggerated out of state anecdotes as if they'll for sure happen in Maine = . These people are like, I dunno. No words.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Would it be wrong to put out a robo-call to only registered Republican voters urging them to "Vote no on gay marriage.  Vote no on Question 1."?

[Holmes]

You don't need to lie, you just need to hope that the voters are actually the events watching TV and thinking for themselves. Yes on 1's only argument is "Children become gay by reading gay schoolbooks and every school will be forced to read these books if the law isn't overturned. Do you want your children to be gay?".

Occasionally you'll find the "all gays have AIDS" and "everyone and their mom will get sued for no reason" arguments.

[Badger]

Would it be wrong to put out a robo-call to only registered Republican voters urging them to "Vote no on gay marriage.  Vote no on Question 1."?

Do it.

2-1 odds there'll be robo calls of the reverse message to registered Democrats.

[Holmes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuZD_1PcdQw

I heard that this news piece played all over Maine twice in the last two days... it's a good one for the No side, but of course they gotta have the Yes side too bashing diversity and the "POSSIBILITY" of a big change if this law passes, which doesn't even change curricula at all.

The video and book he's holding are ones that are in the curriculum that show diverse families, from gay ones to interracial ones to old ones. And guess what? It was in the curriculum even before the law passed.

Oh wait, now their argument is that if this law is passed, there's gonna be a lot more education on teh gay lifestyle.   

edit: New No on 1 ad

It discusses the book that the "teacher" was holding in their last ad, the one I said had all those diverse families. It's an alright ad, good plug for their site. And has a bunch of Maine families, which are types of people that Yes on 1 ads have been really lacking.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Occasionally you'll find the "all gays have AIDS" and "everyone and their mom will get sued for no reason" arguments.

oh cool so they're getting their talking points from my dad

[Lunar]

GOD it's SO refreshing to see an anti-ban campaign actually do the right messaging.  The Yes On 1 commercials seem cheesy and condescending compared to the No's.  And, of course, the No's aren't letting the Yes's own words like "marriage" and "family" and "children" -- a smart strategy for the salvageables