• My industry needs to accept judges decisions. Or at least stop being so nice to me with consultaiton prizes when I accept that I lost #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

2008 - California Proposition 8: Ban on Gay Marriage
Yes - 5,376,424 (52%)
No - 4,870,010 (48%)

2000 - California Proposition 22:Ban on recognition of same sex marriages

Yes - 61.4%
No - 38.6%

That’s a near 10% swing in 8 years against one of the largest coordinated campaigns by out of state influences.  California voted for 61 percent in favour of a ban on gay marriage which, when over turned by the courts, created the freedom to marry.

Support for Proposition 8 was down 10% from Proposition 22. The defending team conceded a 10% swing despite the massive resource push into the fight.  They gained no ground on what they had in 2000, they lost substantial ground from where they stood, and they had to fight like mad to hold onto a slender majority.

Given the seemingly impossible challenge of 12.4% swing required to stave off this attack on individual rights, the electorate mustered up a near 10% swing, (which in political marketing terms is this side of a miracle when dealing with an issue with such a well resourced opposition)

Now the margin is 2.1% for a 50.1% majority vote to support same sex marriage.

The battle was lost today in 2008.  The battle for tomorrow is a 2.1% margin from the campaign teams that have a 10% margin gain under their belts already. That future is winnable, because despite the massive resources the various opponents of same sex marriage brought to their fight, they still bleed massive numbers of supports, and a huge slice of the electorate.  Their time is running out, and they just saw their A-game only narrowly scratch out a win

For same sex marriage supports, it’s only a 2.1% margin left to convert.  For the opponents, given they can’t defend a 12% lead?  They’re running out of options, time and support base.

• Fox News reporters look like someone has their puppy held for ransom #
• Dear Brit HUme, Cheer up little emo presenter. #
• @NickHodge You mean the victorywhale? #
• “And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the Whitehouse” -Obama FTW #
• Obama is reminding me of The Rock right now with the accent and the phrasing. The Most Electrifying Man in Politics! TheRock Obama #
• @jkerrstevens I think they’re planning on letting him sleep in his office when he doesn’t want to commute home #

Powered by Twitter Tools.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. - Obama, B (2008) Acceptance Speech

It’s a start. It’s not perfect and there’s a set of commentary in the comments on McEwan’s post on the lack of recognition of women as a divide that needs unifying in that speech.  So there’s one place that we know needs work.  What gives me hope that it can be worked on, and can be changed in time is the recognition of gay Americans as part of the union of American people. The US 2008 election has been rife with homophobia and with open, brazen and successful attempts to strip the rights from gay Americans. What is an amazing start is that the President of the United States of America called gay and straight part of the United States.

It’s a start.  Those civil rights for gay marriage, equality and safety are still gone, and there’s a long road to walk before they can be restored and reclaimed, and there’s a lot of work to be done yet. Still, President-Elect Obama stood before the world and declared a stand against those who wanted to see the division maintained for their own gains. It’s one step forward, and a step to be encouraged.

This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. - Obama (ibid)

As McEwan (@ Shakesville)has said time and time again about teaspoons, this is a recognition it’s far from over.  The good news is that there’s the guy from Illonis who happens to know about 3 million other men, women and intergender people who also happen to have teaspoons. Whether anything comes of it will be up to the people with the ’spoons.

One things for sure though, the whole damn world just saw what happens when individuals do make use of those teaspoons.  Small individual changes lead to bigger systematic changes, and as McEwan puts it so rightly - it’s not just about Obama.  It’s about everyone of us who have every wondered if our effort can make any difference knowing now that change can happen.

Image by Rev. Santino via Flickr

Date / Time: 22 November 2007 09:25

Selection: : OBAMA, Barack  @ 8.00
Event:  American Presidential Election, President
Market:  WINNER, 04/11/2008 22:00

Called it a little under a year ago.