LGBT: Five Actions The LGBT Community Must Do To Win The Ballot Measures

 

 

In just seven months, Americans will start their 'early voting' for the November election. That means for the LGBT community that all of our television time, mailers, calls, endorsements, etc must be completed and ready to implement. Now is the exactly the time our leaders, organizations and major donors should be finalizing plans to win the pending ballot measures that will be on the November ballot.

Now is not the time to wait, hold back, speculate and second guess. Delay is our enemy since I can promise you the other side, as in previous elections, is getting its act together. If we can win at least Maine and Washington State it will be huge victory. If we can add Maryland and Minnesota to that tally then it will be a 'knock out' punch to the anti-marriage equality folks.

A four or five state victory would make marriage equality an inevitability.

Here are five actions the LGBT community should be working on (or continuing to work on in some cases):

1. President Obama: Having the President stake an unequivocal position in favor of our side in different states is essential to victory. Our opposition last time used his statement that 'marriage is between a man and woman" against us in California. We must have the kind of statement from the President and First Lady that can be used in ads, robo-calls, targeted mailings, etc. This must be done sooner than later. His assistance will be especially needed in Maryland where the African American community is 30% of the state vote.

2. Republicans: Yep, that is right, I am saying we need to mobilize among the Republicans. The operational models used and in New York and Maryland should be extended to the electorate. Ken Mehlman has done a spectacular job of mobilizing Republican support for these efforts. If that same team would be able to obtain persons like Laura Bush / Dick Cheney to do targeted mailings or robo-calls, it would not be out of the question that we could increase by at least 5% the number of Republicans voting for marriage equality.

3. Money: Now is not the time for our major donors to hold back and play coy. They must coordinate and get early money into the campaign organizations or set up their own super PACS. Early money is the name of the game. Fortunately because of the Mehlman operation there are significant Republicans funds this time around. In addition, New York and California major donors should be made aware of the consequences of delay and the real opportunity of victory if step forward in a timely manner.

4. Endorsements: Freedom to Marry is doing an excellent job of lining up major endorsements. HRC has its video program of prominent people endorsing marriage equality. Of great assistance in Washington State was the entire business community (Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks) endorsing marriage equality. Now we have to get national sports stars, entertainers, business folks, etc who will make ads or sign mailers not 'generally' coming out for marriage but specifically in different states asking people to vote the right way.

5. LGBT Community: No one in this community gets a free ride this election. Every single one of us must step forward and be counted. The grassroots around the country can do an enormous amount to help the different efforts.

-Have house parties, dances, etc to raise funds. Do one a month for a different state.

-Individuals can write $10, $20 or even $100 checks for each state contest. Some of you can do it every month. To pledge $10 a month for each of the five states is the cost of five drinks each month. Think about it.

-Using social media urge everyone you know to give, write relatives and friends in those states, volunteer at national organizations that are assisting the efforts, beg your national professional organizations to take a stand, write letter to editors.

-Pray for Victory!

Impressions....by David Mixner

 

 

-Maya Angelou in an interview with The Guardian says she expects this upcoming campaign to be a nasty one by November:

"I think we are going to see a number of people who say: 'I have no racial prejudice in my heart, not in my conversation,'" Angelou says. "But in the next few months, as we wind up to the double campaign, I tell you we are going to see some nastiness, some vulgarity, I think. They'll pull the sheets off."

-My favorite headline of this election year has surfaced this week. Santorum was campaigning in Georgia and the local paper ran the headline "Santorum Draws Crowd In Cumming." Google definition of 'Santorum' aside, that is the name of the town where the event was held!

-The Advocate ran an article about the 'short list' for the new CEO of the Human Rights Campaign. If this is indeed the short list then it is quite an impressive group of folks. What do you think?

-According to "Greg In Hollywood", Raquel Welch made it her mission to have sex with co-star in "Fantastic Voyage" - Steven Boyd. It is a delightful story of how one of Hollywood's leading men in the 1950's gently declined her advances. A somewhat less lurid version had Doris Day also chasing after the chilly Mr. Boyd while they were filming "Jumbo." There was, at the time, whispered gossip about Boyd's sexual orientation. Seem all my childhood fantasies of him clearly were not wasted! Photograph of Mr. Boyd (on left) is with Charlton Heston in Ben Hur.

-The Glass House Tavern had a diverse crowd from the entertainment industry.  Seen dining at the eatery was Hollywood and Broadway powerhouse Scott Rudin, Susan Sarandon, John Glover and Michael McKean! 

-As we wait for the Maryland Senate vote and the Governor's signature to make Maryland the eighth state to make marriage equality legal, it is interesting to note that according to "Think Progress" that former Vice President Dick Cheney made calls urging Republicans to vote for marriage equality.

-The last two years was the first time since 1946 that there hasn't been a Kennedy in the United States Congress. Hopefully that will just a temporary hiatus because Joseph Kennedy III (the grandson of Senator Bobby Kennedy) has announced that he is running to fill Congressman Barney Frank's seat in Congress. Here is his announcement:

-Want to know how much your favorite Senator or Senate candidate raised by the end of last year and the amount of cash they have on hand? Roll Call has the entire chart. Unfortunately Republican Senator Scott Brown has the most cash on hand with over $12 million in the bank.

-Openly gay Republican candidate for President Fred Karger has just released his ad for his Michigan campaign. Click here to see one pretty good ad.

-The Georgia Legislature (yes, Georgia) just saw its fourth openly LGBT State Representative elected to that body. Keisha Waites won a special election. Interestingly three of the four elected to the State Legislature are African-Americans. What a wonderful trend.

-As the one term Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie vetoed legislation for marriage equality, the people of the state are clearly for it. A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll show that 54% of the citizens of the Garden State supporting marriage equality and 35% opposed to it.

-Feel like taking a walk on the wild side? How about walking the 'boardwalk' of the Huashan Cliffside Path in China. This video is not for the faint of heart!

-A number of polls have come out this week as we approach Super Tuesday. Here is a quick summary of them.

- In Oklahoma, it is Santorum 39%, Romney 23% , Gingrich 18% and Paul was at 8%.

-In Texas, Santorum is slamming Romney who is running third! Santorum is at 45%, Gingrich 18%, Romney 16% and Paul at 14%.

-In Virginia only Romney and Paul are on the ballot. Right now Romney leads Paul by 53% to 23%.

-In Arizona Romney hold a slim lead with 36% to Santorum's 33%. Gingrich is running third with 16% and Paul is at 9%.

-President Obama is having a tough time in his once stronghold of Iowa. In the latest poll, Ron Paul would defeat Obama by 7%. Santorum would defeat the President by 4% and Romney would defeat him by 2%. The President does defeat Gingrich by 14%!

-Young handsome talented actor Michael Urie (above) of "Ugly Betty" and "How to Succeed In Business" fame has signed on to star in the CBS pilot called "Partners" It is about two business partners one who is straight and the other is gay.

-Republican United States Senator Scott Brown is currently leading Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts by 9% in the latest poll.

-Dutch Prince Johan Frisco is in critical condition in a Swiss hospital after being buried for 15 minutes in an avalanche. Queen Beatrix is at his bedside.

- A delightful video of First Lady Michelle Obama and First Dog Bo surprising tourists on a White House tour.

-This one will make your day. Evangelical Lutherans overwhelmingly voted to OPPOSE the Minnesota Constitutional Amendment to the ban marriage equality. One out of every four Minnesotans are Lutherans. Hallelujah!

 

LGBT: Five LGBT Marriage Equality Ballot Measures In 2012?

 

 

If the Maryland State senate passes the marriage equality bill being sent to it by the Maryland Assembly, the likelihood of a referendum in Maryland is extremely high. If that is the case, then the LGBT community will face five ballots measures in the 2012 election come November. Two of them will be defensive and three will be to keep/establish marriage equality.

Over the next week is a good time to reflect on how we can prepare effectively in each of these states. Needless to say, money is always essential but quite honestly we are getting to the tipping point - people's minds are mostly made up on the issue. There are of course targeted communities where an enormous amount of work needs to be done, including getting out the vote and the responding to any lies and inevitable distortions by our opponents.

However, we enter this political season with more resources than ever before including a lead in some states. Powerful people from around the country are now willing to step forward as indicated by the willingness of former Vice President Cheney to make some calls to Republicans in Maryland. The political playing field is becoming more even. Some of the states have been preparing for this moment for quite some time (for example Maine) and others are facing this issue with limited resources (North Carolina).

Here are the five states and a quick summary:

MAINE: On the ballot in November will be a measure to institute marriage equality in the state of Maine. Marriage equality has been a battleground issue in this state for at least three election cycles. The LGBT community and its allies are well organized. The last election was a reasonably close one and a great deal has changed since then. They will always need financial assistance but they seem in great shape organizationally. LGBT Americans have a real opportunity to make Maine our ninth marriage equality state.

MARYLAND: The measure will be to overturn the passage by the legislature of marriage equality in November. The state has good resources both in the Washington suburbs and Baltimore. Maryland has one of the highest African American populations in the United States (30%) and they will vote heavily in the fall because of President Obama. While we are in very good shape with that community's leadership, the faith leaders are more of a challenge. You know that NOM will focus on them heavily. This is where we will win or lose in the state.

MINNESOTA: In November there will be a measure to place into the State Constitution an amendment to ban marriage equality. The state has a large progressive base that is very energized by the issue but the latest polls have it running almost dead even between no and yes. Their major problem is that the focus nationally will be on protecting marriage equality and adding states (Maine, Maryland and Washington) instead of a more defensive battle.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Republicans have placed on the ballot a state constitutional amendment similar to Minnesota's. In an effort to 'fix the game' they have placed it on the May primary ballot where there is only a Republican Primary for President. Meanwhile the governor has to step down and there might be a Democratic Gubernatorial primary. Because of how the Republican 'rigged the election,' this one is an uphill battle.

WASHINGTON: Like Maryland, this effort will be to save marriage equality recently passed by the legislature. The LGBT community in this state has been working for years for this moment and has successfully faced initiatives so far. The polls are looking good and along with Maine, this might be our best shot.