Are any states going to have Bull-Shit initiatives on the November ballot?

[Hawaii Hiker]

What I mean is, are there any states trying to put some WEDGE initiative (gay marriage, abortion, strip-club ordinance, etc.) on the November ballot in an effort to bring out the social conservative heathens?...

I think California has a gay marriage initiative (even after the court ruling this week & Governor Schwartzenegger's OBJECTION to a gay marriage amendment, there still going thru with it I guess)....But no matter, Obama will win CA. by AT LEAST 10%, probably higher....John McBush wants Roe V. Wade overturned, & that viewpoint won't exactly sit well in the blue states...

Also, are any states having stricter ID requirements for November?...I mean, it is discrimination to require driver's licenses to vote because ALOT of people don't drive...It's one thing to require a library card, student ID, or some other form of ID, but when a driver's license is the only acceptable form of ID, then that is WRONG....

Look, the only way McBush wins in November is if Republicans steal this fucking election, because John W McBush is an AWFUL, AWFUL fucking candiate who (and this is not just an ad you'll be seeing, but it is absolutely true),is nothing but the third Bush term!!....

:rant:

[babylonsister]

1. The GOP is gasping right now; wedge issues aren't happening...

House GOP Goes Low-Profile on Social Issues
By Edward Epstein, CQ Staff

Something big is missing from House Republicans’ 2008 campaign agenda for American families — and that is no accident.

There’s not a single mention in the 47-point program of such red-meat GOP issues as banning abortion, outlawing same-sex marriage, allowing prayer in the public schools, banning flag burning and protecting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Instead, the plan focuses on such GOP-introduced ideas as allowing private sector workers to take compensatory time instead of premium pay for overtime worked (HR 6025) or permitting full tax deductibility for most medical expenses (HR 636).

In an effort to appeal to moderates in their uphill push to retake the House, Republicans have pushed divisive social issues off center stage and replaced them with a host of pocketbook items they hope will appeal to working women, moderates and even some Democrats.

“This may not be the family agenda you expected from Republicans,’’ said Kay Granger , R-Texas, who was in charge of formulating the “American Families Agenda,’’ the first part of the party’s 2008 platform.

“In the past, the Republican agenda for families was about social issues. This is more straightforward, talking to families where they are, not where you want them to be,’’ Granger added.

De-emphasizing issues that were Republican signatures for many years is tricky. It risks alienating the party’s base in a challenging election year when it needs loyalists to turn out. And it does so when conservative Republicans are already uneasy about their party’s presumed presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

But GOP leaders see little choice. Democrats this year won three special elections in House districts long held by Republicans. The party’s campaign unit is struggling to raise funds. And polls show a strong generic preference for Democrats this year.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002877683

[marmar]

2. California will probably have a marriage amendment proposal in the wake of the court decision...

..... but I predict it will fail miserably.

[anigbrowl]

3. Schwarzenegger will actively campaign against the CA amendment

In a meeting with The Chronicle's editorial board on Friday, Schwarzenegger was asked to clarify his position.

"First, I have always said that for me, marriage is between a man and a woman," he said.

Then he added: "But I don't want to make everyone else go in that direction."

Schwarzenegger said he vetoed same-sex marriage legislation because he felt the Legislature shouldn't override voter-approved Proposition 22, which had defined marriage as between a man and a woman and was nullified by the high court on Thursday.

However, the governor said he doesn't necessarily feel the same when it comes to the Supreme Court overturning a statute enacted by a voter initiative.

"When the people vote, people are not legal experts, constitutional experts or any of that," he said. "I think that's why we have the courts. People may vote with good intentions, but then the court says, 'This is not constitutional.'

"It's not that the court interferes with the will of the people," he added. "But the court says, 'You voted for something, but it's not constitutionally right, so let's rework this.' That's really the idea."

While he supports the notion that same-sex couples should enjoy the same protections as heterosexual couples, the governor said same-sex marriage is not something that he has felt strongly about. He added that he has attended ceremonies for domestic partnerships.

Schwarzenegger's outspoken rejection of the proposed Limit on Marriage initiative gives the opposition campaign a huge lift, said Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and the Media at Sacramento State University.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/16/MNSD10NVAI.DTL

He's got flaws, but overall he's a good governor and we made a good choice with him in California (I think I was about the only person in San Francisco saying he should be given a shot!).

His remarks above are right on the money and show that he takes constitutional government seriously.

[democrattotheend]

Affirmative action may be on the ballot in Colorado

Which is a disaster for obvious reasons. And the GOP is trying to get it on the ballot in other states.

[loyalsister]

12. They're gathering signatures for it in MO

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/01/07/affirmative-action-ballot-language-unfair-judge-ru/

[mcctatas]

4. Looks like AZ and IN are going for the homophobic vote...

http://glaadorg.nexcess.net/2008-state-ballot-initiatives/2008/02/

Montana seems to be courting the anti-choice crowd: http://sos.mt.gov/elb/archives/2008/CI/CI-100.asp

there are more hits on "the google" for November 2008 state ballot initiatives but I'm already nauseaous. On the upside in 2006 WI had a marriage amendment and a DP amendment on the ballot (both passed unfortunately :puke: ), but we still managed to keep all dem seats, the dem gov and pick up a congress critter:)

[ruby slippers]

5. I'm sure Florida will. We had the pig farm initiative in the past on one

[TexasObserver]

6. the GOP will push wedge issue resolutions, like they always do, to up GOTV

Anywhere they have the numbers to get the resolutions on the ballot, they will. They do it every two years, and especially every four years, to coincide with national elections.

Gay marriage is a favorite to get out the GOP vote.

[billyoc]

7. Oh, naturally, including everybody's favorite...

Florida, with their latest homophobic marriage amendment! :puke:

http://www.ncsl.org/ncsldb/elect98/irsrch.cfm

[newmajority]

8. I'm sure we'll have the perennial favorite Tim Eyman asshole inspired stupidity of the year.

Don't know exactly what kind of scam he's pushing this year, but he never misses an election. Plus the Repukes will show up here to help Dino Rossi try to steal the governor's mansion again. :eyes:

Even so, I don't know how many votes McLoon will get out of all that. I swear the only Republican signs I've seen this year are for Ron Paul.

[cliffordu]

9. Someone needs to blackmail that putz so he never comes near

a microphone again....


Just sayin'

[davidpdx]

10. In Oregon

I believe the anti-gay measures all failed to get enough signatures to make it to the ballot. It wouldn't surprise me if there are at least if there are a few wedge issues on the ballot.

[Indiana_Dem]

11. YUP. IN is already talking about the marriage amendment again.

An organizer recently told me he has heard that these hot button issues will always continue in order to get the conservatives to vote..that it's to the oppositions detriment if they get passed because then they won't have a wedge issue to use if they passed.

[ruby slippers]

13. so that was the gist of McBush's comments on SNL tonight when he

said in reference to the Gaydar Jammer that it should be left up to the states. I think you are right. They will put a lot of that on ballots to stir up Conservative voters.....

Listen carefully to little tidbits. It started tonight with his comments, I think.

[rockymountaindem]

14. Two of them in CO

One is to define any embryo as a human life. The second is to make Colorado a "right to work" state. Hopefully both will fail.