Our corrupt legislature must be quite pleased today that the gay marriage initiative didn’t appear on the Mass ballot, especially after seeing it pass in three other states.
While California is often compared with Massachusetts, yesterday’s Golden State ballot proposition results were amazingly conservative. And in what must come as a shock to white liberals, high black and Hispanic turnout is the reason cited for the rightward shift.
The sad truth for white “progressives” is that many ethnic minority groups hold conservative views on social issues, even while they vote for liberal Democrats. That factor only partly explains the split results, however.
— Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage, passed 52% to 48%, despite polls showing it miles behind.
— Proposition 11, a measure opposed by Democrats, takes the redistricting process out of the legislature’s hands, eliminating gerrymandering. It was pushed by Arnold and the (normally very liberal) League of Women Voters.
— Two eco-kook measures, 7 and 10, were soundly defeated.
Had gay marriage finally reached the Mass ballot, it probably also would have passed.
While the Republican brand name is tarnished, conservative issues still prevailed in a number of states, including otherwise-liberal California.
By the way, with Question 3 on our ballot now resulting in a ban on dog racing, how quickly will casinos be built on those sites? Massachusetts needs the revenue much too badly.
Be careful what you wish for, liberal voters, look what it leads to!
