Referendum 71 in Washington State, which I had been working a little bit, was called last night by the AP for the Yes side (i.e. the good guys won) with 52.05% of the vote (county-by-county results are here). Josh Friedes, the campaign manager, told me the numbers are actually expected to increase, as about half of the 500-600K ballots still left (WA is, with the exception of one county, a vote by mail state) are from King County, where the LGBT community and more progressive voters are concentrated. We have 67% in that county so far.
LGBT couples will retain adoption rights, the ability to use sick leave to care for one's partner, and a number of other important rights. Congrats to them and to the Referendum 71 campaign. Congrats to Josh and the rest of the folks on that campaign for a job well-done in what was essentially an eight-week lightning-speed campaign.
I neglected to mention the other LGBT issue that we won with an astounding 65% of the vote, which was the One Kalamazoo campaign to protect the ordinance twice-passed by the city commission to ban discimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing and public accomodations. We wanted a Yes vote, and the other side used slimy tactics like door-hangers that said "No to Discrimination!" to muddle the issue and TV ads with gay men stalking little girls in the bathroom. Perhaps the latter turned voters off in the end. Also a campaign well-run.
Fresh off yesterday's positive ad, here's today's fear-mongering, with the homophobes Stand for Marriage Maine campaign returning to the schools theme:
I have to honestly say that this ad and yesterday's are two of the strongest, if not the strongest, ads I've seen yet from our opponents. And the fact that they're coming just a few days away from Tuesday, Election Day, really scares me. The opposition is pouring it on- they also went to the statehouse yesterday to hold a presser with groups like Americans for Truth that made its way into the local media.
I'm going back up myself on Saturday and will be there for the duration for GOTV. I just got off the phone with campaign folks, who shared this ad and said there is still a major need for calls and volunteers. The campaign is even providing free housing if you sign up to drive to Maine. If you can't drive, you can call from home.
I am not exaggerating when I say that after watching this entire thing, between yesterday's and today's ads, and the presser, this is the strongest I've seen our opposition play ball in the entire campaign. Please help out.
In Kalamazoo, where Karl-Thomas from Burnt Orange Report is on the ground, he just told me their opposition is going back on the air this weekend. Inspired by yesterday's 3-2-1 Countdown for Equality push around the blogosphere, they have a donor match of up to $5,000. Chip in to see our side's response and help get it on the air. And in Washington State, where there's also a very tough race, they also need help making phone calls to voters.
Six days left. Let's pour it on.
Update: The new DailyKos poll out today has No on 1 at 48%, our opponents at 47%. To quote Phish fans, this thing is tighter than a mosquito's ass.
It occurred to me yesterday as I glanced up at the calendar. Election Day. It's now under a week away. It's easy for me to sometimes forget that there's an Election Day every year, especially with so much going on re health care and other issues, but there it is.
The reason I'm working so hard on Maine is because I remember last year when Obama and Democrats up and down the ballot were winning nationwide, we suffered a defeat in California. In the largest state in the union, people got to vote on other people's marriages, and stripped them of their rights. It was completely stunning, and generated a lot of the pushback via protests and online organizing in the weeks to follow. Now organizers in California are struggling to decide whether to go back to the ballot in 2010 or 2012, which is a heartwrenching decision. How do you tell people they have to wait to get married while you figure out a political strategy to accomplish that? And if you don't, and lose a second time, what will that mean?
This is why I'm so concerned about losing in Maine, as well as New Jersey, where a Corzine loss could mean no marriage equality in the state. While health care is raging, there's a deadline coming up in those states, and in Washington State and Michigan. I previously wrote about Referendum 71 in WA here. In Michigan, the Kalamazoo City Commission twice approved an ordinance protecting LGBT individuals from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. It's on the ballot for repeal too.
The other reason that I'm concerned is that these votes affect our movement- grassroots enthusiasm, funding, media memes about setbacks. If you don't believe me, consider how many people you've heard haven't voted for President since Kennedy in '80, or McGovern in '72, until Obama. All of these votes matter, and they're all coming up in less than a week. And if LGBT activists like myself, who also care about health care, suffer defeat on all these fronts on Election Day 2009, I guarantee we will have less energy and resources to win that battle. Our movement is inter-connected.
If you haven't found the time to pitch in yet, myself and other activists in the netroots have put together an action page here for who these campaigns are, what they need, and how to do it. All it takes is a few hours or a few dollars. You can travel to these states or you can call voters from home. Every little bit helps. While the battle on health care is raging in the Senate, we've got six days left to pick up victories on other parts of the playing field.
Click here to go to the action page, see what you can do, and help make sure 2009 isn't a bittersweet year. Maine, Washington and Kalamazoo's biggest needs are in the graphics below, and you can click on those.
STATE BLOGS
