The Gay Marriage Referendum In Maine: Bookerista Views

The tide of extending marriage rights to gay couples -- which has swept across New England in recent months -- has stopped at Maine. Voters yesterday repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed. The repeal comes just six months after the measure was passed by the Maine legislature and signed by the Democratic Gov. John Baldacci. Maine would have been the sixth state in USA to allow gay marriage, but instead becomes the 31st state to oppose the unions in a popular vote. Gay marriage opponents garnered 53% of the vote to supporters' 47%. I would have voted to approve the state law if I was a Maine resident. Other bookeristas weigh in on the issue:

Mr. Grey Ghost: "Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage Law"

The conservative Democratic blogger in New York praises the election result: "Good for the sanctity of marriage. Good for the people of Maine who had to deal the bully tactics of a liberal state Congress as well as a governor who forced this issue on them without their input. Good for a Civil Rights [M]ovement that has been tattered and exploited by white liberals for decades now all in the name state-approved sodomy and perversion. This is a victory for conservatives."


La Shawn Barber: "Maine Voters Repeal Homosexual Marriage"

The conservative blogger in California writes: "I can’t believe it. The people of Maine came through. They rejected homosexual 'marriage' in their state. But that doesn’t mean the fight’s over. There’s something about that 'will of the people' jazz some politicians just don’t like. Fundamentally. For example, 54 percent of voting Californian[s] barred their government from hiring, contracting, and admitting on the basis of race. Thirteen years later, the California legislature drafted a bill bringing back set-aside contracting for minority businesses. Last summer, Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the racial quota bill into law…although the constitution, which he swore to uphold, prohibits it. Well done, voters of Maine. Last November, California voters (including me) said YES to adding the understood-throughout-the-ages definition of marriage to the state constitution: Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. The vote in Maine will be challenged, just as it was in California."

Tyrone: "Gay Marriage Goes Down In Flames In Liberal Maine"

The conservative Republican blogger in Maryland writes: "Maine isn't a southern state. Evangelical Christians aren't a force in the state of Maine. Like I said before, Maine is a very liberal state. Gay [m]arriage in a liberal state like Maine should have been like the combination of peanut butter and jelly right? Things aren't what they always appear to be. The people of Maine in no uncertain words told their elected officials and the Governor that 'Marriage is a union between one man and one woman'."

He continues his commentary: The national polls show that more people identify themselves as conservative by a 2 to 1 margin over those who identify themselves as liberal. This is an interesting fact about liberal states that have laws allowing gay marriage. All of those states that have gay marriage laws were passed through the courts or by the legislators. None of them were passed, because they were on the ballots to allow the people to vote on. In the liberal state of California, Prop 8 was passed by the people which amended their constitution to define a marriage as being between a man and a woman. Liberal pundits are saying that because Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell didn't bring up social issues during their campaigns, it must mean that social conservatism is dead and that the GOP must get away from social issues if they want to win elections. The results from Maine says something completely different. Liberals are such idiots. The reason why Christ[ie] and McDonnell didn't make social issues the cornerstones of their campaign is obvious. The number one core issue that is on the minds of most Americans is economy. People have priorities in life, and job creation is their number one concern right now. So once again, liberals who claim to be the smartest people in the room come up looking stupid yet again. With the victory for traditional marriage in Maine, challenges by citizens supporting tradition[al] marriage may not be so far off in other states that have passed laws legalizing it. The winner in Maine goes to [t]raditional [m]arriage under the umbrella of [s]ocial [c]onservatism."