Comments on: Gay Marriage Ban Fails

By: Little Miss Attila

Little Miss Attila — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 21:43:03 +0000

Good Riddance to Bad Amendments
The egregious constitutional amendment defining marriage for the whole country just went down in flames today. Nice big legislative fireballs. I would have been pretty exercised about this issue if I'd ever really believed that either 1) it had a...

By: McGehee

McGehee — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 12:49:11 +0000

Is everyone here really so naive and self-deceived that they cannot see the real point of calling for any vote at all on the issue? Generating a stick big enough to beat your local Democrat with in the campaign ads for the Senate and House races?

Leaving aside the gratuitously sneering tone of this paragraph, I've been kind of wondering the same thing myself.

By: Little Miss Attila

Little Miss Attila — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 08:57:03 +0000

By: Joseph Marshall

Joseph Marshall — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 03:08:53 +0000

If it really is self-deception, it would explain to me one of the most puzzling things about the White House insistence on pushing the matter in things like the President's radio message.

Supposedly, in 2000 they were shy four million Christian Conservative voters who didn't make it to the polls and they want to correct this problem in the same way you wave a red flag in front of a bull to make it charge.

But since they have bought into their own constant harping on how the Christian Conservative values are the only true American values, they have clearly forgotten how big a tent any sucessful party has to be.

If you have any entree into the gay world it is not surprising both how large it is and how many of its members are sufficently successful economically to be inclined toward Republican politics.

But, under the circumstances, I would be astonished if any gays who have voted Republican in the past do so in 2004. And I would not be astonished at how many MORE will be there at the polls this time.

Given the actual language of both the President and Amendment proponents, no one in their right mind would swallow the notion that this is only about "marriage". It is officially driven bashing.

In a like manner, it now appears that George W. is likely to set a new record for his lack of support among African-Americans. I have heard figures quoted of 1 in 10 or less even considering a vote in his direction.

And its not as if you see many photo-ops of him worshiping with black Christians, despite the theological closeness of his own denomination and the probable sincerity of his private religous belief.

Even beyond the President, I doubt sincerely that the memory of the Florida vote and of the intemperate remarks of Trent Lott at Strom Thurmond's birthday party have faded from the minds of thinking African-Americans. Certainly the Republican Party has not offered them much to replace it with.

Under the circumstances, I'm not so sure that, objectively, four million new Christian Coalition voters would be that valuable, if they do indeed show up.

By: Attila Girl

Attila Girl — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 00:51:47 +0000

That presupposes that Bush really wanted this, and wasn't just making a token effort to satisfy some on the far end of the party.

By: The Galvin Opinion

The Galvin Opinion — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 20:55:16 +0000

GAY MARRIAGE MORASS: THE CONSTITUTION IS NOT THE A Liberals want nothing more than to amend the Constitution so it is no different and no less "repealable" than any other statute. Republicans, seeking to amend based on the issue of gay marriage, would only open up a Pandora's Box by giving liberals ...

By: McGehee

McGehee — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 20:45:39 +0000

Why would one vote by McCain cause him to be L-Shuffle'd off the campaign stage? Only a complete idiot would have expected McCain to go along with everything Bush wants, and Bush isn't an idiot, complete or otherwise.

By: On The Third Hand

On The Third Hand — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 19:22:45 +0000

Good for him.
McCain: Same-sex marriage ban is un-Republican Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona broke forcefully with President Bush and the Senate GOP leadership Tuesday evening over the issue of same-sex marriage, taking to the Senate floor to call a constitut...

By: L-Shuffle

L-Shuffle — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 19:14:55 +0000

Guess Bush won't be toting McCain as a member of his camp anymore.

By: legion

legion — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 19:10:07 +0000

Well, McCain not doing what the GOP leadership wants is hardly news, but you're right about the rest of it - Frist et al going through the motions on an issue they should have known was DOA won't carry any weight with the social conservatives of the GOP base. The only diagnosis I could make is that Frist (and the GOP leadership) is becoming increasingly out of touch with the rank-and-file Repubs in Congress.

By: Rooftop Report

Rooftop Report — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:22:14 +0000

Throwing up in my mouth
This is a Senator.... yes, a Senator: "I would argue that the future of our country hangs in the balance because the future of marriage hangs in the balance," said Sen. Rick Santorum, a leader in the fight to approve...

By: BoiFromTroy

BoiFromTroy — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 17:58:49 +0000

Marriage Amendment fails 48-50
The Senate failed to approve a cloture motion on the Federal Marriage Amendment, garnering less than half of the vote: After final arguments by the leaders of each party, the Republicans mustered 48 votes, 12 short of the 60 they...