The elections held across the country Tuesday brought forth some interesting results (Mickey Kaus has a good take on the election’s winners and losers here), but outside some strong Republican finishes in New Jersey and Virginia, the biggest news probably trickled down from Maine, where voters narrowly repealed the state’s six-month-old gay marriage law. While five states currently recognize same-sex unions, all have done so through the courts or legislative action. Any time voters have been asked to support gay marriage, the answer has been “no.” And it’s been “no” 31 times.
Reactions ranged from despondent to euphoric. “Every time Americans vote on marriage, traditional marriage wins,” noted Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America. “Those who were ready to inscribe ‘RIP’ on the tombstone of conservative and pro-family values following the 2008 elections got a jolting wakeup call at the polls,” Mathew Staver, Founder of the Liberty Counsel, said.
Supporters of gay marriage in Maine vowed to fight on, and many note that the fight over gay marriage is not about to end. The Baptist Press, though it led with the Maine results, pointed out that gay politicians and gay-friendly initiatives celebrated victories. GetReligion wonders why the media tends to lead with what a loss the Maine vote was for gay-rights supporters, as opposed to also mentioning what a win it was for family-rights folks.
