Pep Talk

From Dday at Hullaballoo, this post on the campaign in Maine, with a good summary of how the "professional gays" lost the campaign in California.

For so many people, the passage of Prop. 8 last November represented a civil rights failure. But it was just as much a political failure. A campaign that could have been about neighbor-to-neighbor contact and recognizing what brings us together rather than sets us apart was instead waged at 30,000 feet. The TV ads for the No campaign never showed one gay couple, and they never spent any resources on door-to-door canvassing. The consultants who ran that campaign (into the ground) claimed that visibility mattered more than personal persuasion (they actually told volunteers to get on a street corner and hold signs instead of interacting directly with people), and the entire race was waged in a defensive crouch, as the Yes campaign would post one lie after another to which the No campaign would belatedly respond.

I'd say it was mostly a political failure, and an organizational failure. As far as I'm concerned (and I don't think I'm alone), if demolished whatever shreds of credibility the "professional" gay advocacy organizations had. Their inability to move the Obama administration has only finalized it.

While most of the attention has been on the attempt to repeal Washington state's enhanced DP legislation, there is a crucal fight in Maine. Fortunately, it looks like the Mainers are doing things right. Here's their first commercial:



Dear gods! There are actual gay people in this one! With their kids! Let's see if it works.

If you've been following Pam's House Blend lately, you know that Louise has been tracking this one very closely, ever since the bill went to the governor.

And the usual suspects are lining up to attempt a repeal, although if the Mormons are involved, they are keeping it a deep, dark secret. (And according to reports, the Bishop of Portland is getting strong resistance from his flock. Good.)

From time to time, I'll take another look at this one.