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How Will Gay Marriage Impact Ohio In 2008?
- Filed under: Ohio 2008, Uncategorized
- Date: Jul 1,2008
The recent legalization of same-sex marriage in California and New York has brought the dormant issue back to the election year limelight. Former Republican Presidential Candidate and Conservative Christan Leader Gary Bauer had an interesting piece on the Politico's website yesterday titled "Can gay marriage save the GOP again?" Ohio is the state that Bauer references as the place where the issue could have the most impact this year because of the success of the issue in 2004:
"In Ohio[2004], for instance, a huge marriage amendment campaign registered 54,500 new voters, and thousands more Ohioans who were registered but rarely voted cast their votes for the marriage amendment. On the strength of the marriage initiative, Bush won in the battleground state, as did 13 of the 17 Republican candidates running for Congress there." - Gary Bauer
Bauer makes more good points in his article and has additional data. The issue of gay marriage did help to deliver the State of Ohio for George W. Bush and the issue is still peculating nationally. Time Magazine released a poll this week on the topic of Gay marriage: "Should gay and lesbian couples be allowed to marry, giving them full legal rights of married couples, or not?" The results: 42% should, 51% should not. If John McCain is looking to awaken and engage Christian Conservatives like Gary Bauer, then gay marriage may be the way to do it.
Part of the reason why I think this issue has been so effective is because Democrats and gay rights organizations generally do a bad job organizing and responding to this issue. Most voters only hear the opposing arguments to gay marriage. However, that may not be the case this cycle. One group helping to educate voters about the issue of gay marriage is Equality Ohio. You may notice that the top issue on the website is a statement discouraging gay couples from suing in states, like Ohio, where gay marriage is illegal. That is good advice during an election year.
In an interesting twist, Stephanie McCloud is one of the names being floated to run for Ohio Attorney General this cycle. Stephanie's dad Phil Burress helped lead the campaign for the amendment to ban gay marriage in Ohio. Putting Stephanie McCloud on the ballot as an A.G. candidate may help jump start Gary Bauer's plan to energize conservatives in Ohio.
12 Responses for "How Will Gay Marriage Impact Ohio In 2008?"
Hi Kyle –
I would venture that the economy and energy's effect on the economy is going to trump the social issues in the coming months as the presidential campaign picks up speed. Jobs and progress, as the late Ohio Gov. Jim Rhodes used to say. Gay marriage may resonate with some voters, but I think the prospects of less in the bank account resonates with a lot more. Some years the social issues get close to the forefront, and in some election cycles they never gain much traction. 2008 seems to be the latter. And why does anybody care what Gary Bauer has to say these days? Long ago, he joined the Beltway crowd. He pops up every once in a while, then disappers back into the Beltway murk.
Bill,
Good points. I hope that jobs and progress are the focus this cycle.
Completely agree with Bill that the economy and energy will be (and should be) the main focus of this election cycle.
People have a lot less time to worry about social issues like gay marriage, which is not even considered a major social issue by most, when they are worried about the cost of gas, food and housing.
I don't think either party will make much effort to recruit new voters or infrequent voters based on their gay rights platform. People will continue to figure that Dems. are pro and Reps. are anti, which is stereotypical thinking and not necessarily true.
The issue of gay marriage will not take the back burner in eyes of voters to the issues of the rising cost of gas, increased housing and food costs, or any other issue in this state. Ohioians made it clear in the 2004 constitutional vote that marriage in Ohio was to be defined as a marriage between a man and a woman, and that will not change. Though, I am affected by the cost of living increases, I will not be distracted by it, and I will not let those things affect my vote. I will back any effort to prevent gay marriage in the state of Ohio, and I know for a fact there are many others throughout the state of Ohio that feel the same way.
We voted in 2004. No gay marriage in Ohio.
Nice pic
Kyle, you wrote: "Part of the reason why I think this issue has been so effective is because Democrats and gay rights organizations generally do a bad job organizing and responding to this issue. Most voters only hear the opposing arguments to gay marriage."
Or maybe Ohioans are really just against it. I dont think it has anything to do with the message they are hearing.
I agree with Ben and think Equality Ohio and Kyle do too, on some level.
It's a little telling that Equality Ohio is asking people not to bring lawsuits against the state and Kyle thinks it's a good idea 'in an election year.' That sounds a lot more like keeping a low profile than educating people.
Perhaps I stand alone in my thinking but as one that has always supported gay rights I will no longer vote for gay marriage. I have decided that while I support gays having equal leagal rights to support gay marriage is one more attack(not that gays can not be as good citizens or parents) on the traditional family structure that is a necessary ingredient in a strong viable society. Also I find the gay mafia's attitude that is not enough to accept gays but we must embrace and celebrate the life style and goals of the movement. I for one will not support a group whose goal is to silence and limit the rights of those that embrace a different value system. So come election time my decision in the booth may be in some degree affected not by gay marriage but who I think is less likely to limit the rights of people in the name of diversity
Intolerance is so…..out of style. In the fifties and sixties, it was the blacks who were going to damage society if given equal rights. Now it's the gays. Whether gays and lesbians marry or not has nothing to do with damaging anything heterosexual. It's just ridiculous.
Ohio, shameless in it's institutionalized intolerance and hate, is increasingly suffering from superstitious nonsense peddled by Christian hucksters.
It doesn't matter whether gay marriage is foisted up again as a political issue. The haters are going to lose this go around.
Sadly to say this issue won't go away! Keep in mind the right wing agenda plays heavily on any issue that generates a guttural reaction, thus votes at the polls.
Repubs in '04 did a brilliant job of 'getting out the vote.'!
There you go again, highjacking the civil rights movement and trying to use the guilt of the white man to push the gay agenda, and not addressing any points but ones that you make up. It is not going to work on this black man. Regardless it is a marriage defined by the Ohio contitution, which says that it is between a man and a woman. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others were not fighting for gay rights. The fight was for people to not be judged for the color of thier skin but for thier actions.My ancestors fought for the right to have an education, access to good medical supplies, proper nutrition, the right to vote, the right to live in good enviroments, the right to become productive members of society that "WAS" denied to us because of the color of our skin. Something we had no control of. I agree with women rights and thier rights to choose. Thier right for equallity, we have no control over what we are. The fights of the civil rights and women's rights was about not judging a person by the color of thier skin or gender, but rather judge us by our actions. We all have control over our actions unless we are mentally challenged. In my opinion and a vast majority of others (religous or not)feel the gay rights agenda just hijacked something just and pure and are trying to leech of off the guilt some Americans have for the past treatments of blacks and women. That is my opinion and I am entitled to it. You are entitled to yours and just because my views on the acts of homosexuality are different from yours does not make me a bigot or ignorant, it is my civil right to disagree.
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