In regard to same sex marriage being blamed for costing Dems

[cboy4]

elections (2004) .. or potentially costing Dems elections (2006), how many more states do you need to hear approve same sex marriage before you will be satisfied that it's okay for candidates like Obama, Hillary, Biden and others giving their thumbs up during a campaign?

I'm sure everyone is up to speed about what happened in Connecticut.
(Here you go, just in case you're not)==========> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/nyregion/11marriage.html?hp


I think the Connecticut SCOTUS, in the majority, said it best:

the court — in language that often rose above the legal landscape into realms of social justice for a new century — recalled that laws in the not-so-distant past barred interracial marriages, excluded women from occupations and official duties, and relegated blacks to separate but supposedly equal public facilities.

“Like these once prevalent views, our conventional understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional protection,” Justice Richard N. Palmer wrote for the majority in a 4-to-3 decision that explored the nature of homosexual identity, the history of societal views toward homosexuality and the limits of gay political power compared with that of blacks and women.

DUH, right?

So, I'm curious.

Do you need 10 more states to sanction same sex unions? 20 more before you won't have a problem with Democrats campaigning on this issue?

When will it be okay for you to say, "same sex marriage is here, it's happening, it's going to expand, other nations sanction it and it's time to stop feeling as though it's a wedge issue and something Democrats shouldn't talk about?"

Now? Soon? Never?

[musicblind]

1. Well said

:applause:

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[billyoc]

3. Triangulating cowards wouldn't care if it was 49, everyone else says it's been too long already.

[No Elephants]

4. I am for gay marriage. But, it was the courts in those 3 states that are mandating it, not the

voters or any elected officials. So, the answer is to first make sure that the people who appoint judges-the POTUS and the Governors--are going to appoint liberal judges. You don't get that done by staying home, voting Republican or voting third party. And then, we keep working to change the minds of voters at the same time. But the judicial appointments are key.

[iamthebandfanman]

5. itd be nice if judges would just

follow the freakin law and stop being conservative or liberal.
either a law says and means something or it doesnt. what does ideaology have to do with anything?
i dunno whats so complex.
lol

*sigh*

if only we lived in an ideal world where people didnt put their own self interests forward over everyone elses.

[Solon]

7. As far as I can tell, for example, most of the Judges on the CA Supreme Court are Republicans...

Indeed, in many cases(not all), courts that decide cases seem to do so on merit of the case, not ideology. Its only lay people, who are ignorant of the process who claim that judges are "liberal" or "conservative" based on what they decided on a few court cases.

This isn't to say ALL judges are like this, but most have been through law school and worked on cases themselves, both as advocates for plaintiffs and defendants. This gives them a unique experience in how the law and the Constitution should be interpreted.

[Bluebear]

8. Civil rights are not supposed to be up to the "voters". nt

[PBS Poll-435]

10. Amen

:thumbsup:

[pnwmom]

6. I think it's the number of Supreme Court appts. more than anything else.

If McCain appoints the next three Supreme Court justices (and it is extremely likely that there will be at least three retirements in the next four years), then we're ALL screwed. It won't matter how many individual states approve gay marriage -- federal rights will be set back for decades.

[alwysdrunk]

9. How many states would vote yes on the issue?

You are talking about court decisions in the context of elections. The referendums are thing that have had an impact on elections, increasing turnout for Republicans. The judges are appointed by politicians. The elections are decided by voters. Voters are slowly coming around but we're just not there yet.

[hulklogan]

11. Have all the people whining about "activist courts" (vomit) forgotten that

the California legislature passed a gay marriage bill twice? And it was vetoed by the governator who said he thought the courts should be the ones to decide the question?

Those of you who are against gay marriage, or "for" gay marriage but against it whenever a Democrat is running for office (meaning all the time), should just shut up and let this country's legal process take its course. Or do you hate the constitution too?

[Beausoir]

12. Nominated.

[Ozma]

13. Yes, it has to come from SCOTUS..just like it did for integration.

Those folks in the South got used to seeing people of all colors sitting next to them on the bus, in the schools.

If we had left it up to 50 state supreme courts, we would still have "white" and "colored" drinking fountains in Miss.

This is NOT a state by state issue. This is NOT a referendum upon who can have what rights in what state.

Let's make sure Obama and Biden understand that, (I think they do, but are afraid to say, because it's a "wedge" issue).

[Duncan Grant]

14. I wish I wasn't heading out of town!

This is going to be a hell of a thread. :yourock:

(bookmarked)

[cboy4]

15. I thought so.

:(

[cboy4]

16. And 47 responses with only 15 showing?

Nice.

[Danger Mouse]

17. After this election, I hope.

I don't 'blame' gays for costing us any election.
I blame the hateful bigots who vote based on their filthy hate.

[Fearless]

18. It's not that the issue kills our candidates...

It's that we haven't had a candidate that can assume these issues and deflect criticism from the Right. Of course, most can't because they don't really know what being gay means as most are straight. So, they start off a bit behind already.

Here's to hoping though.

Cheers,

NTF