Missouri voters approve gay marriage ban

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 8/3/04 | Kelly Wiese - AP

[NormsRevenge]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday to ban gay marriage, the first such vote since the historic ruling in Massachusetts last year that legalized same-sex weddings there. Although the ban was widely expected to pass in conservative Missouri, experts said the campaign served as a key barometer for which strategies work as the gay marriage battle spreads to ballot boxes around the nation. At least nine other states, and perhaps as many as 12, will vote on similar amendments this year.

The amendment had garnered 70 percent of the vote with 91 percent of precincts reporting.

Missouri and 37 other states already have laws defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. But amendment supporters fear a court could toss aside the state law, and they believe the state would be on firmer legal ground if an outright ban is part of the Constitution.

"I'm very gratified and encouraged and thankful that the people of this state understand our current policy's a wise public policy and they want to see it protected from a legal challenge," said Vicky Hartzler, a spokeswoman for the Coalition to Protect Marriage in Missouri.

Opponents said the amendment was unnecessary and discriminatory, but knew they faced an uphill battle in Missouri.

"We're already reaching out to these other states, sharing with them what we learned, what worked, what didn't work, and we'll move on," said Doug Gray, campaign manager for the Constitution Defense League. "Ultimately we're right and they're simply wrong."

Supporters and opponents of the amendment have used grassroots campaigns, knocking on doors and making phone calls to tell people about the issue. The group fighting the amendment, the Constitution Defense League, raised more than $360,000, largely from national gay-rights groups, and ran a television ad in the final days before the vote.

The group favoring the amendment, the Coalition to Protect Marriage in Missouri, spread the word through churches and community events, raising just a few thousand dollars but saying public sentiment in Missouri was on their side.

Louisiana residents are to vote on a marriage amendment Sept. 18. Then Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah are to vote on the issue Nov. 2. Initiatives are pending in Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio.

Four states already have similar amendments.

[Kryptonite]

"I believe in the right to choose, not the government choosing, but an individual, and I defend that."

Except when it's about choosing whether to create same-sex marriage. Then he's all about the judiciary's power to choose.

[kms61]

JMHO, but being against gay marriage doesn't necessarily mean it's at the top of everyone's issue list. Clearly it is for some people, but not all. No need to get complacent about this vote. Every poll says most Democrats are against gay marriage too. That doesn't translate into them voting for Bush.

[Just mythoughts]

"Saw a "Sportsman for Carnahan" sticker once and it cracked me up...gave them the W sign."


Yes we do have some dim bulbs in this state. Public education and religious education have seduced and deceived the minds of so many they have mush for brains.

[goldstategop]

That's true. Not every Democrat is going for Bush. I don't expect him to get 70% in November. 52-53% is the best he's going to do. Maybe 55% if black turnout's depressed. A lot can still happen between now and then so we'll have to see how it plays out.

[concerned about politics]

The one thing that I have noticed is alot of the "union democrat guys" are getting PO'd about the democrat's stances on gun control.

That's a plus. Good news, indeed.

[concerned about politics]

Every poll says most Democrats are against gay marriage too. That doesn't translate into them voting for Bush.

If they have kids, their vote could easily change, especially if they have a son in the boy scouts or children in a publik skroool talking about what they learned this past year.
Parents are very protective of their children.

[longtermmemmory]

Typical AP spin. This also bans polygamy marriage. This also ban animal marriage with humans.

This is not a ban as much as a codifying common law definitions.

[Dec31,1999]

I like the liberal logic that says decisive US military action against Iraq infuriates the Islamic world. Somehow the image of the US condoning sodomy and licentious women do not infuriate the Islamic world and motivate the most devout Muslim to join Al Qaeda. Liberalism is a mental disease.

It's true. Al Queda and the Muslims hate us because we support sleazy Hollywood values. (No values). It's the point where we agree with them, at least to a degree.

All your average Muslim sees and knows about the US is what they see on the Hollywood created TV. The fact that there are many Jewish people involved in this dispersion doesn't help one bit, since they are so anti-Semitic.

[Dec31,1999]

There's no saying what a "penumbra" of the Constitution will be interpreted as next. Legislation from the Bench has got to go, as 99.9% of the spineless Congress, IMO. Fire them all!

[longtermmemmory]

I see more of thise referendums to take back the social agenda from judges.

Look for legislators to make referendums harder to get on the ballot.

[Jeff Chandler]

I just invested 50K on a gerbil ranch outside of St Louis.

You mean the one run by Richard Gerbel?

[lstanle]

" Then Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah are to vote on the issue Nov. 2. "

I think this would help conservative voter turnout in these states which should help GW.

[Lazzer]

"Then Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah are to vote on the issue Nov. 2. I think this would help conservative voter turnout in these states which should help GW."

Too bad W already has most of those states locked. It should help slightly in Arkansas and Oregon though.

[jwalsh07]

Ohio and Michigan also have gathered enough signatures to place the Marriage Amendment question on the ballot in November.

The pollsters underestimated support for the Amendment by some 11 or 12%. Either the issue energizers likely republican voters or people lie to pollsters about such issues. In either case, it bodes well for the culture war.

[o_zarkman44]

99 of 101 counties vote conservative. The exceptions being St Louis, Boone (columbia) and Jackson, (KansasCity).
The urban bloc votes pretty much make it a dead heat......(dead people do vote in St Louis).

Gebhardt always seemed to be re-elected dispite considerable outstate opposition. I guess thats why we are considered a Swing State. The Dems have a fight on their hands when they get the activist Republicans on a Roll, and the roll is just beginning!

[surelyclintonsbaddream]

The great thing about this is;

Matt Blunt fought for this election to be held in Nov when more people turned out, to help the Conservatives. He obviously lost and it was held yesterday.
The paper today said the turnout was higher Democrat because of the Holden/McC... race. So, even with higher Democratic turn out, just looking at the #'s last night, it seems only Columbia, St Louis City, & KC were under 50% and they were around 46%. This means even the demo's voted conservative on this.

[surelyclintonsbaddream]

Too many unions here.
Actually we were kinda upset about the way they had the ballots situated.
You had to pick from the demo/rep and they were right there where all could see which you picked up. There were several union people there when we voted, so even if you wanted to cross the line, you would be scared to b/c anyone could see and report you.
My dau & I were given dirty looks by even the lady at the table when we picked up rep ballots. My dau remarked that they all expected her to be a demo b/c of her age.
When we voted it appeared most took demo ballot but yet the marriage amendment was around 80% here.

[kt56]

HOW DOES THE PRO MARRAIGE VOTE, THE CARCATERS NOW INVOLVED IN THE GENERAL ELECTION AND CCW IN MISSOURI HAVE ANY CONNECTION? READ ON.

We had a very interesting election here in the big MO. It didn't surprise me that the amendment to ban gay marriage passed with 70% of the vote. Only the "alternate life styles" advocates in St Louis and Kansas Cities would have voted against it.

On the other hand, it was those same areas where the vote for Prop B, for CCW, was defeated some years ago. Makes you wonder were the rest of "us" were on that one.

I'll get to that issue shortly as all of this ties in.

Allow me to comment on the gubernatorial primary. With the help of PRO-gun voters, Governor Holden was defeated by Claire McCaskill, current State Auditor. THAT'S RIGHT WITH PRO GUN HELP!! Why on earth would we want to do that? The results speak for themselves. If Holden had won the primary it was calculated that his defeat in the general election was certain. Apparently the demo-rats were of the same mind.

And here's the CCW tie in. To make matters even more interesting, Becky Cook, current Secretary of State defeated Ken Jacob, Dem Lt Governor candidate, who we believed would be just as venerable as Holden, and consequently was the benificiay of our "help" as well. Becky Cooks' legacy in the struggle for freedom and upholding ALL of the Constitution is best described by one of Missiouri's favorite Pro Constitution sons, Mr. Tim Oliver. I post his pre-election comments, with his website for reference, below.

"Becky Cook was the Secretary of State, appointed by Gov. Carnahan, who, in my humble opinion, screwed our wheels off twice on LTC, first on changing the wording of the ballot language and later in the vote count. There was massive voter fraud in St. Louis City and County, and we filed the appropriate forms to have the voter fraud investigated. Her office "investigated" for approximately 24 hours. She then announced that there had been some voter fraud, but not enough to affect the outcome of the Prop. B Debacle election.
The Russians have a saying that applies to Becky Cook's counting of the Prop B vote:"
"We don't care who votes, we care who counts the votes!"
Tim Olivers Learn To Carry News

For my fellow Missourians and other interested parties, the crux of the matter is....we still have a long way to go. The passing of the ban on gay marriage is a tremendous victory, but.....
complacency could result in another administration that will do everything it can to roll back and usurp the Constitution, and the principles upon whicn it was founded, including our 2nd Amendment rights.

From what I've heard about Matt Blunt, Republican winner for Governor, he is with us. I'm not to sure about Peter Kinder, Republican winner for Lt. Governor, but I intend to find out.

[misharu]

Hell, in Missouri, we are supposed to have an "open" primary where you can vote for whoever, BUT! you have to declare your party before they give you a ballot.

I went ahead and said Independent and was told that I could only vote on the issues. What kinda of crap is that? I went ahead and got the independent ballot since I knew that the candidates I would vote for had a lock. (Bond, Blunt)