Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Activist voters

It looks like Proposition 8, the Constitutional Amendment proposal that would ban same-sex marriage isn't looking like it's going to pass. I've read more than a few articles now that indicate that it simply doesn't have the support that it needs, and more Californians are okay with the idea of gay marriage now than they were ten years ago. Not only that, but there's a website that places online bets on all sorts of issues and news stories, and right now the money is on it not passing.

I wonder how the extreme right is going to interpret this. Of course, when the Supreme Court got rid of the same sex marriage ban, they all threw around their favorite, totally meaningless phrase, "activist judges!" (At least, it's meaningless in this context - because from what I've seen, absolutely nobody who used it even attempted to address the real issue - how are gay people getting equal protection when they don't have the same rights as everybody else?) My personal favorite, originally spouted off by uberdouchebag supreme James Dobson, was the phrase "judicial tyranny."

Yeah. Those judges are tyrants. Couldn't you just feel the tyranny when you saw that one lesbian couple, who had been together for something like 50 years (give or take - I don't remember, all I remember was that it was longer than I've even been alive). It was like Atilla the Hun all over again! How dare those women! Loving each other? Can't they see that they're destroying marriage with their stupid life-long commitment and ridiculous devotion to one another? I love my wife, but how can I not divorce her now that gay people are getting married?

Anyway, so what will the spin be on this, when the voters reject this bigoted and hateful proposition? Will the voters become activist voters? Will it be voter tyranny?

Personally, I'm not as enthusiastic about Obama (not even sure that I'll vote for him - I'll probably vote Green) like a lot of people I know, but I do think that there will be at least one thing to vote for in November that will definitely make the world a better place.

6 comments:

nonmagic said...

The husband is voting Green, too.

Lance Christian Johnson said...

I imagined him to be a swell fella - this helps to confirm it.

: )

Froggie said...

I am compelled to vote for Obama for one important reason and that is the next president will appoint some supreme court justices.
A republican will tilt the court more to the right.
A democrat will bring it back towards the center.

After all, it is well shown that no one president can screw things up all that bad with all the checks and balances.

Our military and intelligence community ultimately influence policies more than the president, even though they don't like you to know that.

I think not voting for Obama is a vote for the right wing conservatives.

Lance Christian Johnson said...

If we went by popular vote, then I'd be more inclined to agree with you. I'm in California, and unless Obama does something REALLY stupid (and maybe even if he does) I doubt that California will go to the Republicans.

Anonymous said...

You are in California, and you are probably correct, but are you willing to let McKinney/Clemente or even Nader/Gonzalez be the "Nader 2000" to Barack's Al Gore? I'm not. I am in pennsylvania so I would be voting for Barack even if I didn't think he was the best candidate for the job.
BEN

Lance Christian Johnson said...

That is a good point, and I honestly can't say that it wouldn't sway me if it looked like a close race in my state.

However, imagine what this country would be like if everybody who voted did vote, and everybody who voted actually voted for somebody that they liked rather than against the guy they couldn't stand.

Honestly though, I go back and forth between your point and my own.