He's great on environmental issues too. (4.00 / 1)

Obama won Virginia by a landslide.  The state is becoming more progressive by the day, but our legislators in Richmond don't reflect that.  Electing Miles Grant will help remedy this.

---

by: Nick Berning @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 11:43:41 AM CDT

looks as if... (0.00 / 0)

Virginia IS for lovers after all.

---

by: jlars @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 12:19:39 PM CDT

I am a firm, and ardent, advocate of marriage equality. (0.00 / 0)

(Why should we 'straights' be the only ones so afflicted?)

But I don't think the piecemeal approach is going to be effective, in the long run.

It's going to need a national SCOTUS ruling, based on First (Establishment clause) and 14th (Equal protection) Amendment claims.

It's true that this is unlikely with a majority of the SCROTUS owing its Opus Deist allegiance to Ratzi, the Nazi.

And no matter who the next retirees from the Court are, Obama will not name anyone to the "left" of Ed Meese protege Kennedy to any vacant seats.

But, as we saw in California, it's much easier--way too easy, imho--to thwart justice by plebiscites...And I cannot imagine the Marriage Nazis abandonning their agenda...

---

by: konopelli @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 13:09:57 PM CDT

Although... (4.00 / 1)

Wouldn't you concede that Iowa going the right way changes the political environment in which a Supreme Court ruling could take place?

And Vermont doing a 2/3 override of their governor shows other legislators (state or federal) that political courage is possible.

I think the overall environment legislatively and in the courts, state and federal, was impacted this week.

---

by: AdamGreen @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 13:55:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Although... (0.00 / 0)

Wouldn't you concede that Iowa going the right way changes the political environment in which a Supreme Court ruling could take place?

And Vermont doing a 2/3 override of their governor shows other legislators (state or federal) that political courage is possible.

I think the overall environment legislatively and in the courts, state and federal, was impacted this week.

---

by: AdamGreen @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 13:55:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The problem in CA wasn't plebicites (0.00 / 0)

It was that the campaign failed to go out to convince people, failed to tell their stories, failed to make this the moral issue that it is.

The lesson has been learned, and those mistakes are not being repeated.

At least not with respect to marriage equality.

Support a Pennsylvania Progressive for Governor - Joe Hoeffel

---

by: David Kaib @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 17:54:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I wonder if the far left will break the Democrats (0.00 / 0)

Or maybe y'all will just be irrelevant.  I'm a Democrat, voted for Obama and campaigned for Obama.  Have no regrets about it, and will likely campaign again for him in 2012.  It disturbs me to see all the propaganda against opponents of gay marriage.  

Will you get gay marriage passed in New York, New Hampshire, Washington state, Oregon, California, Minnesota?  I'm sure you probably will.  However, I doubt Nate Silver's belief that the whole country will eventually accept gay marriage. The East and West Coast are more liberal and less religious than the rest of America.  Also, racial minorities are less accepting of homosexuality than are white folks.  

Although I oppose gay marriage, I'm still with the Democrats.  I just wonder if other Americans are as forgiving of the Democrats as I am.    

---

by: Smooth Jazz @ Sun Apr 12, 2009 at 01:12:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Incremental and quick (4.00 / 1)

Lincoln argued that a nation can not survive half slave and half free.  The election demonstrated that the balance of power had swung towards free.  Similarly when Roe v. Wade was decided many states had legal abortion, a wave that took less than ten years to bear national results.

The Supreme Court is far more likely to rule in favor of broader marriage rights when that policy is in effect in states representing a large portion of the population.  In some sense, when states approaching half the population recognize gay marriage, the courts will be pushed in to it.

Virginia was the home of Jerry Falwell and is currently the home of Pat Robertson (whose father was a somewhat liberal US Senator).  It was also the home of Thomas Jefferson and the Bill of Rights.  Talk about a split heritage.  In the long run it will take many Virginias or Vermonts to swing the debate.  It is still likely to happen.

---

by: David Kowalski @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 14:00:03 PM CDT

. (0.00 / 0)

The amendment was voted on in 2006. Passed by a pretty decent margin IIRC. That was the year Webb beat Allen.

It would be amazing if VA has changed its stance in such a short time.

---

by: NeonBlack @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 14:14:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]