94% of CA is not at fault for prop 8 passing

[jpgray]

It's apparently just the black vote that clinched things. I learned this by reading DU. It had nothing to do with the Mormon millions, progressive white apathy in CA, or a fucking stupid system wherein, given enough signatures, basic human rights can be taken away with a simple majority.

Seriously, minority turnout tends to be socially conservative yet at the same time votes heavily Democratic; that's a mixed blessing in practical terms for a progressive. Thankfully, we're not faced with the choice of being exclusively happy or sad about it--strong turnout for the traditionally disenfranchised is a great thing. Be happy about that. Its effects in terms of prop 8 were not helpful, though by no means decisive. Be pissed off about that. There is no need to pit gays and blacks against each other in some macabre demographic war, as though one group was uniquely and directly responsible for screwing the other--mass human behavior doesn't lend itself to such simplistic narratives. Nader was no fucking help at all in '00, but was he uniquely decisive when compared to the major villains that year, such as the media? Hardly. Does it do any good to shit on 2000 Nader supporters out of proportion to their actual influence? No.

Let's lay the blame where it belongs--the rich white fucks that conceived this travesty and funded the signature drives; the ignorance and bigotry of -all- who voted for the measure. Singling out oppressed minorities who have little voice as major villains in this case is counterproductive and simplistic. Yeah, I've got a beef with 72% of black women voting for this thing, but their impact pales in comparison to the main villains of this story, and focus on that small contributing factor seems almost pathological when you consider its slight actual impact.

Again, it reminds me of people who endlessly ragged on Nader in 2000--it's undeniable that he was directly harmful, but when you focus on the small problems in an election that is close enough to make small problems decisive, you indirectly give the larger, more systemic problems that made the election close in the first place a pass. You can more easily harm the smaller, vulnerable targets with blame and attacks, yet if you succeed your impact will be very small. When you take on the larger, decisive problems, your impact can be both decisive and lasting.

So blame blacks for their bigotry with regard to prop 8, but don't make them out to be the major villains. That seems to me a futile and utterly useless gesture.

[bridgit]

1. Odder still, we have several gay friends that voted for McCain...

:shrug:

[msongs]

2. not really, its EVERYone who voted against it. subtract 5% all voters n it woulda failed nt

[NYC_SKP]

3. We all underestimated the power of those Pro-Hate, I mean Pro-Eight, ads.

They were very slick and absent them I think many more people would have voted yes, as the text of the proposition is quite benign, live and let live.

The hate ads said that "Acceptance of Gay Marriage would become MANDATORY".

That is what they said.

[4_Legs_Good]

4. Don't forget the pathetic opposition campaign

which sucked form the get go, and let the Mormons completely control the debate. Not until the last few days did any serious opposition emerge.

Pathetic. We all let this happen.

David

[jpgray]

8. Again, goes to show that there are many interdependent factors

Focusing on one to the exclusion of others, or blaming it for the result out of proportion to its impact doesn't tend to make much sense.

[Meldread]

5. You are right, of course, but it has to be noted.

It must be noted that on the night that Black America shattered the biggest and highest glass ceiling in America, a majority of Black America in California voted to strip away civil rights to another minority. There is a twisted irony involved. As if many African-Americans had learned nothing from their own experiences, where even today racism still exists (let us not pretend it has gone away with Obama being elected - it hasn't). That on this day of all days, when we all as Democrats should be happy and celebrating they made a choice that would be unthinkable if done to them.

To me as a gay American it is deeply hurtful. As I would fight and die to defend each and every right they have earned, they have by a very large majority voted to strip away mine. It is deeply hurtful, and I feel it is a total betrayal of Martin Luther King's dream. As we all know he supported gay rights as did his wife. Gays and Lesbians marched with King.

It is a stain on what would have otherwise been a beautiful and wonderful night. I think that someday, maybe not today or a day in the near future, but someday they shall look back on this night and feel ashamed. I can only hope that they are not the only ones.

[AJH032]

7. well said

the passage of prop 8 is shameful and ironic.

[Uzybone]

6. Totally agree

It wasn't black DEMOCRATIC voters who brought this execrable amendment to the ballot

[jpgray]

9. Right. Let each factor in the passage get attention in proportion to its influence

Black voters are far, far down on the scale in terms of influence here. I wish more would recognize that.