Maine People's Veto, will it pass or fail?

[scream4ever]

About a year ago a similar poll was made about Prop. 8.

I would like to know if you guys believe that Measure 1 in Maine will pass, fail, or are you not sure?

 

[jft245]

I think that the current law will be overturned. The anti marriage group has turned this into a referendum on what will be taught in Maine schools regarding homosexuality. They are playing out of context statements from educators in other states saying that teachers will be required to teach children as young as kindergarten aged a homosexual curriculum. They have started running ads branding pro gay marriage teachers as "avowed gay activists."

I fear that these ads will scare enough of the voters who are on the fence into voting to overturn the law.

 

[Kulindahr]

I meant to say "fail narrowly." I shouldn't post late at night. I think Maine will keep gay marriage legal, but the deciding margin will be rather slim.

I was about to ask that.

That's where I see it, too. The commercials the "Yes on 1" people are running are backfiring: Maine has a lot of independent-minded, skeptical people who pay attention to the revelations about this crud, and who tend to feel insulted that someone would lie so blatantly to try to win.

Still, efforts need to be made to get the young folks out there and vote. I hope JockBoy87 is putting the energy he's not putting here any longer, into that.

 

[scream4ever]

Thought I'd bump this to the top to get some more votes.

 

[Cull27]

Not many voters are undecided on the issue. I don't think the "gays indoctrinating kids in school" argument that the right has been pushing has made any difference. That has just been an excuse for their bigotry.

It really just comes down to which side gets the most supporters out to vote. Some other interesting legislation is also on the ballot. They will also be voting on whether or not to legalize medical marijuana. I think the liberals will be out in force. If we win, we will probably have stoners to thank.

 

[maxpowr9]

At this point, I think it will pass narrowly. The problem is that it is an off-election year and many people will probably not turnout to vote. There are probably more "no" voters than "yes" voters in Maine for the proposition. The problem is convincing those "no" voters to go out and vote.

 

[scream4ever]

At this point, I think it will pass narrowly. The problem is that it is an off-election year and many people will probably not turnout to vote. There are probably more "no" voters than "yes" voters in Maine for the proposition. The problem is convincing those "no" voters to go out and vote.

Well sure. Thankfully, Maine voters can vote absentee up to 4 weeks prior to election day. Our side is the only one that has really been pushing for it. I've read that this election has had record breaking amounts of people voting via absentee ballot. Portland is the only community that has run out. That's good news since Portland is the most liberal area of Maine.

Also, looks like college students are getting out to vote:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BX3tNO3TjM[/ame]

I've heard too that voter turnout is expected to be abnormally high even for an off year. Question 1 is obviously drawing much interest, but so is the question regarding school consolidation, and another regarding taxation.

 

[Kulindahr]

Maybe a snow storm will trap all the ReligioPublicans at home.

 

[Kensei]

Maybe a snow storm will trap all the ReligioPublicans at home.

You never told me why you were a Christina in another thread. Forgot to go back to it.

You asked me to ponder why you were a Christian because of religious bigots if I recall correctly.

 

[Kulindahr]

You never told me why you were a Christina in another thread. Forgot to go back to it.

I was a Christina?

Wow, that must have been an interesting night!

You asked me to ponder why you were a Christian because of religious bigots if I recall correctly.

You'll have to find it so I can recall the context......

(right now I'm trying to recall where there might be clean socks).

 

[White Eagle]

I've been getting this email from Californians Against Hate since Prop 8 failed. Good read!

Fred Karger sent a message to the members of Californians Against Hate.

--------------------Subject: Boy is this a great story on the devious National Organization for Marriage

BANGOR DAILY NEWS

Anti-gay marriage group sues state

By Kevin Miller
BDN Staff

AUGUSTA, Maine — A Washington, D.C.-based organization under investigation for its financial role in the campaign to repeal Maine’s gay marriage law has fired back with a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of a state election law.

[Quote truncated by moderator] Copyright ©2009 Bangor Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

Source Link (added by moderator): http://www.maineville.com/detail/126297.html

--------------------

 

[Kulindahr]

I'd love to get them on camera.

I'd ask if their donors were all legal residents of the state of Maine. Oh, they aren't? How many would you say are? Really -- that's not many.

Now take the money from all the others and get packing: if they don't live in Maine, they have no free speech right in the place on an issue restricted to the place. See, we believe in government of the people, by the people, and for the people -- of Maine. You aren't the right people, so go home.

 

[CaptainRush]

I was a Christina?

LMAO! I meant Christian. I'll have to back track and find it. I will after my post.

I'd love to get them on camera.

I'd ask if their donors were all legal residents of the state of Maine. Oh, they aren't? How many would you say are? Really -- that's not many.

Now take the money from all the others and get packing: if they don't live in Maine, they have no free speech right in the place on an issue restricted to the place. See, we believe in government of the people, by the people, and for the people -- of Maine. You aren't the right people, so go home.

I don't get this and I didn't know donations can only come from within Maine. I'm from Cananda and I donated $50.

 

[Kulindahr]

I don't get this and I didn't know donations can only come from within Maine. I'm from Cananda and I donated $50.

At the moment donations can come from anywhere. I think that if it's an issue just in a state, only people there should be able to donate.

 

[Kulindahr]

Wouldn't that be kind of hard to enforce? I would think you could just have a third party accept donations and pass them off to the main groups.

I know -- people would just send money to friends in a state, and they could donate it. But with donation limits, there's only so much of that people can do.

 

[Kensei]

I know -- people would just send money to friends in a state, and they could donate it. But with donation limits, there's only so much of that people can do.

Donation limits? Do you mean how many times one person can donate?

 

[Kulindahr]

Donation limits? Do you mean how many times one person can donate?

No, there are limits on how much a person can donate to politics. I don't remember it clearly at the moment, but one individual can only give so much to any candidate.

 

[White Eagle]

No on one update.


http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=292761&ac=

Judge: State can press for disclosure of donors

The attorney general now challenges the Yes on 1 group to open its records.
By TREVOR MAXWELL, Staff Writer October 29, 2009

PORTLAND — The state can compel the National Organization for Marriage to disclose the identities of donors who contributed to its effort to repeal Maine's gay-marriage law, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge D. Brock Hornby ruled that Maine's reporting requirements for ballot question campaigns do not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as claimed in a lawsuit filed last week by the National Organization for Marriage.

Bolstered by the ruling, Maine's attorney general challenged the advocacy group Wednesday night to make its records public before next week's vote on Question 1.

 

[Kulindahr]

The Portland City Clerk ran out of early ballots this week, and had to rush print a lot more - she is keeping her office open on Saturday to handle the crush.

Impressive!

I hope that means that absolutely everyone is voting -- because I seriously think that reasonable people outnumber the religious bigots.

I feel the way Jesus did about religious bigots: blind guides! hypocrites! you lead people to destruction!

 

[Kulindahr]

No on one update.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=292761&ac=

Well worth the read!

Here's a key item:

State law requires any individual or group that raises or spends more than $5,000 to influence a ballot question vote to disclose contributors who gave more than $100 for that purpose.

Sp it isn't every donor that has to be revealed, just those who gave more than $100. Personally, I think that's a bit low -- I'd go for $250, maybe -- but there's a point therein, that those with money to throw to really try to influence things should be known to the voters.


Then there's this:

"This is an excellent day for the Maine citizenry," Mills said. "This decision stands for the proposition that the people have a right to know who is behind either side of any issue that is on the ballot."

I don't like the argument that there's a "state interest", which the judge uses, but the one that the voters have a right to know is a strong one. The Founding Fathers held that for democracy to work, the Republic needed an educated citizenry, and this seems something it needs to be educated about, or to at least have to opportunity so to do.