Traditional Marriage Wins Big
- Nov 7, 2008 - 3
Social conservatives and defenders of traditional marriage won tremendous strategic victories in ballot initiatives on Nov. 4. First and foremost, the defenders of traditional marriage overturned the California Supreme Court’s legalization last June of same-sex marriage.
Despite being outspent nearly 2 to1 and having to overcome California Attorney General Jerry Brown’s arbitrary decision to rewrite the original ballot language of Proposition 8 in a way calculated to present it in the most negative light possible, the proponents of traditional marriage won by a 52 percent to 48 percent margin.
This column originally published at Casting Stones, a blog hosted by Beliefnet.com.
Given the demographics of California, traditional marriage advocates would be justified in concluding that if they can prevail in California, they can prevail anywhere in the United States when the issue is put directly to the people to decide.
Traditional marriage also won an impressive victory in Florida. That state’s traditional marriage advocates had a particularly difficult barrier to overcome—a state requirement that any constitutional amendment garner a minimum of 60 percent of the vote. In fact, the opponents of same-sex marriage exceeded that legal hurdle by gaining a 62 percent to 38 percent victory in spite of being outspent 3 to 1 by their opponents.
In Arizona, the only state that has ever voted down a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman (in a very close vote in 2006), traditional marriage advocates returned this election cycle with an amendment which contained much clearer language. The result—the passage of a state constitutional amendment by a 56 percent to 44 percent margin, which not only defines marriage as being only between one man and one woman, but also prohibits Arizona from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states.
Why did the defense of traditional marriage win such strong victories in states as diverse as California and Florida? One reason is that turnout increased substantially among the African-American population as they came out to vote for Barack Obama. In California, 70 percent of African-Americans voted for Proposition 8 (outlawing same-sex marriage) and 71 percent of black voters supported traditional marriage in Florida.
Ironically, the Obama-inspired surge of black voters helped pass constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in two states carried by Sen. Obama—California and Florida.
This column originally published at Casting Stones, a blog hosted by Beliefnet.com.
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3 comments (post your own) feed
1 On Nov 27th, 2008, at 1:52pm, Tim Jolly wrote:
It doesn’t make any sense to me that Dr. Richard Land thanking the Mormon Church for their support for prop 8 in California. The Mormon Church is an occult! The Mormon Church doesn’t recognize that Jesus is the Son of God!
It makes me sick to have one our Executives play along with the media to make every religious group happy. As far as I’m concerned
Dr. Richard Land is talking out both sides of his mouth. I assume I’m the only Christian first Southern Baptist second that feels this way. One more thing and I’ll close. The Bible
talks about this. Hello is anybody separating themselves from the world and the garbage that it offers!
Sincerely,
Tim Jolly
2 On Dec 10th, 2008, at 2:53pm, kristal wrote:
I strongly disagree with this viewpoint. we are to be the light of the world. If we see good being done we are to encourage it, likewise if we see an evil we are to speak against it. At any point when we see someone doing good in this world we should be encouraging it. The Mormen church, while they are a cult, also stands along side us to defend biblical values we hold to be true. While we strongly contest their false doctrine we have a responsibility to stand for truth whether or not we agree with everything the Mormons profess. You wouldn’t not order your taco because the people standing behind you in line have different values and beliefs? We’re fighting for the same thing, on THIS issue, at the end it’s about getting the taco.
3 On Dec 16th, 2008, at 11:43pm, James Reeves wrote:
I have a question for the Obama voters that voted against the same-sex marriage. Did you vote as a block to remain the exclusive minority and recipent of civil rights program dividends?
The racial voting block of people in our country show a picture of the past. It is segregation in another form.
We must adhere to a rule of reason in voting that seeks a greater good and can lead to a better relationship with all others. The book of Romans is the best guide when considering homosexuals as a norm.
James