Arizona rejects gay marriage ban?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I haven't had much time to look over all results, but I noticed on CNN that the gay marriage ban in Arizona is down with only 49% with 97% counted.

I wouldn't expect Arizona to be the first state to reject such a thing, but great for them if they do!

[AZDem]

It certainly was an unexpected surprise. All of the polling indicated it wouldn't pass so definitely a pleasant surprise. It even failed in Maricopa county!

Just one more thing. We voted on 19 propositions to. We had competing smoking ban initiatives (201, 206), competing land use initiatives (105, 106), English as the official lang. (103), and others too numerous to mention. It was ridiculous.

Our ballot was 4 pages long!

BTW. I'm sure the right wingers won't take no for an answer and they'll try to put another marriage amendment on the ballot again in the next couple of years.

[Alcon]

Good for them.

South Dakota was also weirdly close (called with only Shannon County outstanding).  Even considering a bad year for the GOP, considering that Montana banned same-sex marriage with 67% of the vote.  And I don't even think the South Dakota part banned civil unions.

Colorado was a disappointment.

[Vincent]

Well, we went from not even having an MLK holiday to rejecting a gay marriage ban. Maybe we actually are moving in the right direction.

[Umengus]

maybe the illustration of a weak gop turnout... surprising. But remake soon.

[Gabu]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

[Umengus]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

not really: tennessee (81%!), wisconsin (59%), colorado (56%), Idaho (63%), SC (78%) and virginia (58%) approve "ban same-sex marriage". If some people think that america moves to left...

[minionofmidas]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

not really: tennessee (81%!), wisconsin (59%), colorado (56%), Idaho (63%), SC (78%) and virginia (58%) approve "ban same-sex marriage". If some people think that america moves to left...

Well, these are all down from a hundred percent... in a way...

[The Dowager Mod]

It is pretty embarrasing that Wisconsin passed the gay marriage ban and the death penalty.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Sweet.

[Gabu]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

not really: tennessee (81%!), wisconsin (59%), colorado (56%), Idaho (63%), SC (78%) and virginia (58%) approve "ban same-sex marriage". If some people think that america moves to left...

Tennessee is surprisingly high, but Virginia is way down from where I'd expected it to have been, and then there's South Dakota, a state in which the governor tried to ban all abortions, that approved it by only 52%, and Arizona which rejected it outright...

Had this been two years ago or so, I would have expected Virginia to pass it by way over 70%.

Also, if you don't think that America's moved left, what do you think the results of such a vote would have been in 1950?

[Colin]

Well good for Arizona. Finally at least one state wont actually be putting this crap in their constitution.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

not really: tennessee (81%!), wisconsin (59%), colorado (56%), Idaho (63%), SC (78%) and virginia (58%) approve "ban same-sex marriage". If some people think that america moves to left...

Tennessee is surprisingly high, but Virginia is way down from where I'd expected it to have been, and then there's South Dakota, a state in which the governor tried to ban all abortions, that approved it by only 52%, and Arizona which rejected it outright...

Had this been two years ago or so, I would have expected Virginia to pass it by way over 70%.

Also, if you don't think that America's moved left, what do you think the results of such a vote would have been in 1950?

Every state banning it and a decent chunk outlawing interracial marriage(more specificalyl black-white intermarriage).

[Alcon]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

Perhaps, but Montana - a politically similar state - passed a ban 2-to-1 while Colorado, a state more moderate than South Dakota in every way as far as I'm concerned, passes it by a notably larger margin.

[Gabu]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

Perhaps, but Montana - a politically similar state - passed a ban 2-to-1 while Colorado, a state more moderate than South Dakota in every way as far as I'm concerned, passes it by a notably larger margin.

I suppose it varies, but as a whole, it passed in quite a few states by much smaller margins than I expected.

Colorado was indeed very strange, though.

[A18]

Hah, I can't imagine anyone would vote against an initiative that he would otherwise support because the Republicans are hoping to mobilize their base with it.

I may be giving voters too much credit, but court decisions all across the country upholding state marriage laws might be a factor.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The State newspaper came out in favor of SC Amendment 1 not because they thought it was a good idea, they didn't, but simply because it was the easier way to get what they considered an inconsequential issue off the political radar in this state.  I would have agreed with The State had our Amendment 1 confined itself to defining marriage, but it went farther, banning anything that could remptely be called a civil union and prohibiting South Carolina and its subdivisions from offering any sort of benefits to domestic partners unless they be married.  My objections center primarily on the part I italicized.  The state government really ought to as much as possible get out of the business of mandating what counties, municipalities, and schools can and cannot do.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

A marriage def'n doesn't belong in ANY constutition.

But good on Arizona.

[A18]

Hah, the VA amendment is terrible too. I of course voted against it.

I can understand the drive for these sorts of amendments in other states, but this is Virginia we're talking about. No liberal activist judges have been spotted on the Virginia courts, which should come as no surprise, given that we are one of the few states where judges are chosen by the very legislature that has voted to ban gay marriage.

So even for staunch opponents of gay marriage, this can only be a silly amendment right off that bat. But there's also very broad language in the amendment that was largely ignored: "This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage."

It really is absurd. We're talking about a blanket prohibition on Virginia's assigning the "rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects" of marriage (italics mine) on the basis of any "legal status." I of course do not expect this amendment to be interpreted honestly, and I must say on some level I'm grateful that it will not.

But to make matters worse, they decided to append this amendment to the George Mason's eloquent, historic Virginia Declaration of Rights.

[J.G.H.]

Good for them.

South Dakota was also weirdly close (called with only Shannon County outstanding).  Even considering a bad year for the GOP, considering that Montana banned same-sex marriage with 67% of the vote.  And I don't even think the South Dakota part banned civil unions.

Colorado was a disappointment.

It did ban civil unions, actually. The text was: “Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in South Dakota. The uniting of two or more persons in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other quasi-marital relationship shall not be valid or recognized in South Dakota.”
Part of the controversy was what exactly a "quasi-marital relationship" was, and how exactly the ambiguous term could have unintended consequences.

[Umengus]

South Dakota was also weirdly close.

I didn't consider it weird, myself.  As I said in another topic, I have a feeling that the general public is starting to get tired of what is pretty obviously a vote-getting tactic by the Republicans.

not really: tennessee (81%!), wisconsin (59%), colorado (56%), Idaho (63%), SC (78%) and virginia (58%) approve "ban same-sex marriage". If some people think that america moves to left...

Tennessee is surprisingly high, but Virginia is way down from where I'd expected it to have been, and then there's South Dakota, a state in which the governor tried to ban all abortions, that approved it by only 52%, and Arizona which rejected it outright...

Had this been two years ago or so, I would have expected Virginia to pass it by way over 70%.

Also, if you don't think that America's moved left, what do you think the results of such a vote would have been in 1950?

comparison with 2004 of course...

And the conservative turnout, good in 2004, seems low this year. And a only-gay ban would have realised a better result I think.

"Abortion ban" in SD would have succeed if abortion due to rape had not been forbidden in the text.

[MasterJedi]

It is pretty embarrasing that Wisconsin passed the gay marriage ban and the death penalty.

Only for people on the far left. Anyways the death penalty was only an advisory referendum unfortunatly so we don't have it yet. Anyways at least gay marriage passed by a lot, bigger than what I thought would have happened.

[Alcon]

It is pretty embarrasing that Wisconsin passed the gay marriage ban and the death penalty.

Only for people on the far left. Anyways the death penalty was only an advisory referendum unfortunatly so we don't have it yet. Anyways at least gay marriage passed by a lot, bigger than what I thought would have happened.

I'm far-left, now?

[Colin]

It is pretty embarrasing that Wisconsin passed the gay marriage ban and the death penalty.

Only for people on the far left. Anyways the death penalty was only an advisory referendum unfortunatly so we don't have it yet. Anyways at least gay marriage passed by a lot, bigger than what I thought would have happened.

I'm far-left, now?

Of course you are you commie bastard.

[Alcon]

It is pretty embarrasing that Wisconsin passed the gay marriage ban and the death penalty.

Only for people on the far left. Anyways the death penalty was only an advisory referendum unfortunatly so we don't have it yet. Anyways at least gay marriage passed by a lot, bigger than what I thought would have happened.

I'm far-left, now?

Of course you are you commie bastard.

And you...and Philip...and Frodo...and like 80%+ of this forum.

Truly far-leftism on the march!