# Maine and gay marriage - who cares? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907 "2009-11-01T02:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/1 "2009-11-01T02:14:50Z")
I was very surprised to learn that gay marriage could well be repealed by the citizens of Maine within the month. I did a Google and found very few news stories, and nearly no coverage. At the moment the polls are neck and neck, but there doesn’t seem to be much attention being paid to the issue. How come everyone went nuts about California and not Maine? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/2 "2009-11-01T02:20:08Z")
Not sure, but CA is supposed to be pretty liberal. Maine, not so much. For example, Maine has 2 Republican Senators, CA has 2 Democrats. And CA had SSM legal, by judicial decree, and Prop 8 ended that. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/3 "2009-11-01T02:36:18Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not sure, but CA is supposed to be pretty liberal. Maine, not so much. For example, Maine has 2 Republican Senators, CA has 2 Democrats. And CA had SSM legal, by judicial decree, and Prop 8 ended that. And California is by far the largest state, by about a three-to-one margin, and site of the West Coast offices of major news operations. Maine is mid-range, two representatives, and it’s rare for anyone to quote the Bangor Daily News or the Farmington Sentinel as a majorr bews source. Maine is one of the last strongholds of liberal Republicanism, so the “well, they elect _shudder_ _Republicans_” is kind of unjust. I’m skeptical of those surveys, too. I’ve seen too many right-influenced push polls lately. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/4 "2009-11-01T02:40:35Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Maine is one of the last strongholds of liberal Republicanism, so the “well, they elect _shudder_ _Republicans_” is kind of unjust. I didn’t mean it as a slight, and I actually thought about noting that both R’s from Maine are on the liberal side of the R party. Still, ME is not MA or CT or VT. I lived in New England most of my younger life, so I’m pretty familiar with the area. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/5 "2009-11-01T03:17:49Z")
Population and the fact it took place during a presidential election made the prop 8 a much more interesting story. Also the amount of money invested in the campaign was much more so there was more commercials concerning it. As it was taking place where many TV shows are filmed and many celebrities live the issue got more recognition from various residents who were in a position to voice it to a national audience. It has been getting nation attention. Concerned groups on both sides of the issue are following it closely. Here is a Rachel Maddow clip covering it [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44AgvjhChWo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44AgvjhChWo) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/6 "2009-11-01T06:50:04Z")
Some of us do care. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/7 "2009-11-01T14:20:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not sure, but CA is supposed to be pretty liberal. Maine, not so much. For example, Maine has 2 Republican Senators, CA has 2 Democrats. And CA had SSM legal, by judicial decree, and Prop 8 ended that. Ah… California’s liberalism is… different… from Maine’s conservativism. See, up there in the northeast, the ‘southern strategy’ never really helped. The political parties didn’t get taken over by whackaloon preachers. Republicans from Maine tend to be _actual_ Republicans, of the 1960s-70s variety. … as in, ‘keep your government out of my business.’ So, it’s not so much about conservative versus liberal, as much as ‘as long as it don’t scare the chickens, screw it.’ ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/8 "2009-11-01T14:48:46Z")
Plus California is usually at the front of new trends. How laughable were the ideas about smoking bans and emissions testing for cars when California first enacted them? Now the rest of the country follows these things. Should gay marriage have stood, it would have just been a matter of watching the dominoes fall. Now the fight has to be fought again… ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/9 "2009-11-01T16:44:16Z")
In Maine, a homosexual is a man who like women more than hunting. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/10 "2009-11-01T17:27:27Z")
Oops. Looks like I didn’t realize that ME, like CA, did establish SSM and the referendum would end it. My bad. Also, note that ME enacted SSM thru the legislature, not the courts. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/11 "2009-11-01T18:09:28Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Oops. Looks like I didn’t realize that ME, like CA, did establish SSM and the referendum would end it. My bad. Also, note that ME enacted SSM thru the legislature, not the courts. Also worth noting is that there have not yet been any gay marriages in Maine. The law doesn’t go into effect until after the election. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/12 "2009-11-01T18:15:42Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > And California is by far the largest state, by about a three-to-one margin Just wondering, what does “by about a three-to-one margin” mean here? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/13 "2009-11-02T02:00:41Z")
Hey! Don’t be making fun of Maine. Remember, [As Maine goes, so goes the Nation.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Maine_goes,_so_goes_the_nation) The important thing in this upcoming vote is that if the SSM already passed there is supported it will be the first time that has happened anywhere in the US and that will be a milestone that will reverberate throughout the country. Being from Maine I know there are plenty of religious conservatives but I also know Maine is pretty independent and tends to defend the rights of others. I was very moved by [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSSd1za_J4I) of a Maine WWII vet still fighting for liberty at age 86. I’ve already sent it to my family. I’m really hoping Maine sets a new standard for fighting for equal rights. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/14 "2009-11-02T02:03:00Z")
I just watched coverage on this issue on ABC news tonight. Someone cares, at least now. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/15 "2009-11-02T03:25:20Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > I was very moved by [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSSd1za_J4I) of a Maine WWII vet still fighting for liberty at age 86. I’ve already sent it to my family. I’m really hoping Maine sets a new standard for fighting for equal rights. I’ve been following this, and the general consensus seems to be that, being an off-year election, it’s basically going to come down to turnout. The higher the turnout, the better the chances for defeating Question 1, and keeping same-sex marriage legal in Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/16 "2009-11-02T04:17:15Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Ah… California’s liberalism is… different… from Maine’s conservativism. See, up there in the northeast, the ‘southern strategy’ never really helped. Right, because it’s the _Southern_ strategy, not the Northeastern strategy. 😉 > [@John\_Mace](#): > > I didn’t mean it as a slight, and I actually thought about noting that both R’s from Maine are on the liberal side of the R party. Still, ME is not MA or CT or VT. I lived in New England most of my younger life, so I’m pretty familiar with the area. True, Maine is not Vermont; for example, Maine has elected Democrats to the Senate, whereas Vermont has Pat Leahy. As for MA and CT, Lowell Schweiker and Edward Brooke were pretty damn liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/17 "2009-11-02T22:13:07Z")
Simply because there are no major races to tie the issue to. You can’t ask a presidental candidate, “Do you support the right of gay people to be married,” 'cause there’s no one running for president. If there were national elections, such as next year when the House of Representatives is up for grabs, it would be much more of an issue ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/18 "2009-11-02T22:20:30Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > > [@Polycarp](#): > > > > And California is by far the largest state, by about a three-to-one margin. > > Just wondering, what does “by about a three-to-one margin” mean here? I can’t imagine: California has a population of about 37 million, and the next state (Texas) has a population of about 24 million. So it’s about a three-to-two margin. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/19 "2009-11-03T03:10:23Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > I’ve been following this, and the general consensus seems to be that, being an off-year election, it’s basically going to come down to turnout. The higher the turnout, the better the chances for defeating Question 1, and keeping same-sex marriage legal in Maine. I called my daughter in Maine tonight. She said the ads have been stupid. If we allow gay marriage it will be taught in schools??? What the hell. she said she probably wasn’t going to vote so I encouraged her to find the time and make the effort. I’ll be watching the results. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907/20 "2009-11-03T14:04:27Z")
Low turnout will hurt the cause. With low voter turnout, you have a larger percentage of senior citizens voting: a block that is heavily anti-SSM. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maine-and-gay-marriage-who-cares/515907.md?page=2)