Legislators back gay rights -- and survive (propoganda alert)

World Net Daily ^ | 1-24-05 | Deb Price

[Aetius]

.............And, contrary to dire predictions that gay-friendly African-American state lawmakers would suffer at the ballot box, 97 percent were returned, according to the analysis by the Human Rights Campaign and the Equality Federation. Meanwhile, 100 percent of Latino, Asian-American and Native American state lawmakers who voted against discrimination were re-elected.

"Voting against discrimination is good policy and good politics," concludes HRC national field director Seth Kilbourn.

The report's findings couldn't be more timely. Here's what to expect during the legislative sessions now getting under way:

States whose lawmakers are definitely going to consider amending their state constitutions to ban gay marriage are Kansas, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia.

In addition, lawmakers are likely to face marriage measures in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.

Lawmakers who think their political ambition somehow justifies voting against equal treatment of gay couples ought to think again: Of the Republicans who opposed marriage discrimination, 95 percent advanced to the general election. Of the Southerners, 98 percent were re-elected, the report found. Likewise, 93 percent of the gay-friendly lawmakers in states that President Bush carried won re-election.

In every corner of the nation, state lawmakers have stood up for equal rights, then won re-election. There's no excuse for any legislator to ignore gay families' needs.

[Aetius]

I found this interesting, not for what is said, but for what isn't.

First of all, I don't understand why such leftists care at all about what the people think, or what legislators do, as victory for them on a national level and in most states is only possible through judicial imposition of gay marriage or civil unions (and the "or civil unions" is key since most people in probably most states would reject any public recognition of gay unions no matter what euphemism for 'marriage' is used).

The part about black and Hispanic politicians is quite absurd, as all it does is point out what is known to every political scientist -- that economic/role of govt issues usually trump social and cultural issues for these groups. That's why they vote Democratic. I mean, does anyone think the voters of her district will oust Maxine Waters over the marriage issue, even though they probably disagree with her on it? Of course not, and the fact is that most blacks and Hispanics oppose gay marriage, and have voted that way when given a chance via a ballot initiative. I believe over 60% of Michigan blacks voted for the measure that banned both gay marriage and civil unions last Nov. All this talk about pro-gay marriage minority politicians only proves that they are out-of-touch with their constituents on this issue, but that the issue is not a big enough deal to change many votes. Duh

The Republican stat is probably garbage as well, as it probably reflects races in the NE or West Coast where the conservative primary candidate (assuming there is one) is at disadvantage anyway. You can be sure that in most primaries in the South, Rocky Mtn West, Sunbelt, and Breadbasket, all GOP candidates held the same pro-traditional marriage stance.

Likewise, the Southerners and Red State stat is no doubt also a sleight of hand. It almost certainly reflects, especially in the South, the reelection of those before-mentioned black lawmakers specifically, and the reelection of Dem lawmakers from safely blue areas of red states generally. Again, in most races the matter probably didn't matter, but only because both candidates took the anti-judicial imposition of gay marriage/pro-traditional marriage stance.

And of the states considering action that she mentions, if it is put to a direct vote of the people, you can be reasonably sure that Kansas, Texas, Virginia, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin will vote to preserve traditional marriage just as Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, Louisiana, and 8 other states did last year.

[Question Liberal Authority]

100 percent of Latino, Asian-American and Native American state lawmakers who voted against discrimination were re-elected.

What was the re-election percentage for the Latino, Asian-American and Native American state lawmakers who voted in favor of discrimination?

[The Old Hoosier]

Sure they got re-elected: it's called "gerrymandering."