Washington state marriage equality round-up
October 24, 2012
Referendum 74 Washington marriage
By Scottie Thomaston
– As we reported, the anti-gay campaign in Washington state is out with a new misleading ad, relying on two stories that have been previously debunked, to convince viewers that if the marriage equality law passes they will lose their religious liberties.
– Jacob called attention to some news from Washington:
In Washington, Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they were donating an incredible $500,000 to Washington United for Marriage, the group responsible for the campaign to approve Referendum 74. That money comes on top of another $100,000 gift that the Gates couple gave to the campaign earlier this year. Washington United has raised almost $11 million for its campaign, compared to around $2 million for the anti-marriage equality group Preserve Marriage Washington. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also announced this week that he would donate $500,000 to marriage equality efforts, splitting the money between the campaigns in Washington, Maine and Minnesota. (He contributed $250,000 earlier this year to Maryland’s effort.)
A University of Washington poll last week found 54 percent of likely voters in Washington support Referendum 74, with 38 percent opposed and 6 percent undecided. Interestingly, the poll also included a third prediction, based on the respondents’ answers to questions about whether they had lied on the survey or if its questions made them uncomfortable, in order to gauge whether the poll’s numbers were over-representing support. That weighted prediction found a closer split, with 53 percent support and 47 percent opposition. In 2009, when Washington voted on a domestic partnership law, polling showed much greater support for the measure than the eventual margin by which it passed.
– The marriage equality campaign in Washington state is out with a new ad highlighting the fact that civil unions or domestic partnerships don’t provide the safety and stability of a marriage. The ad is here:
The ad says:
Angie: Cynthia and I thought our domestic partnership would guarantee that we would be there for one another.
Cynthia: If God forbid one of us was seriously ill.
Angie: And then our worst nightmare happened. I was in surgery and there were complications.
Cynthia: The nurse refused to tell me what was happening and how serious things had gotten.
Angie: Just because we weren’t married.
Cynthia: Only marriage guarantees that all couples can be there for each other when it really matters.
What you can do to pass marriage equality in Washington:
1. Contribute to the campaign to approve marriage equality in Washington, via ActBlue.
2. Volunteer to make calls to voters in Washington.
3. Sign up to travel to Washington and help get out the vote! Courage Campaign is arranging out-of-state caravans and travel assistance is available.
10 Comments
1.
Steven | October 24, 2012 at 11:15 am
The thing is with all this extra money WHY are we not running double ads right before and after each and every one of theirs that show the lies and explain the truth??? With nearly 10X the amount banked you can easily attack every one of their messages with truth, yet all we do is talk about how much money we have raised… where is it going? They may have less but they use it to get oout a message, ours just seems to collect interest….
2.
CHRIS | October 25, 2012 at 7:15 am
I think we can assume, mathematically, that ALL "undecided" voters are opposed to marriage equality.
3.
Stefan in CA | October 25, 2012 at 11:52 am
Scottie, Matt and Jacob, Is anyone who's leading Washington United for Marriage aware of the very accurate comments on this site regarding the lack of ads directly addressing the opposition's ads?
4.
Mark Mead-Brewer | October 25, 2012 at 12:21 pm
I have spoken via email to both 'leaders' and the comments fell of deaf ears. What I got was indignant erogant attitudes from WAU and CC
5.
Steve | October 25, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Well, it's too late this cycle to change anything. With less than two weeks to go, doubtful any ads will have much impact on any of these elections. I still predict you'll lose all of them, so perhaps people might decide that what these groups are doing *isn't working* and replace them in time for 2014.
Based on what I've seen so far, though, I doubt that is likely to happen.
I'd sure like to be the guy who comes up with these ads and gets paid for them…there's certainly no creativity involved in recycling the same *losing* themes year after year, so it sure seems like easy money.
6.
Mark Mead-Brewer | October 25, 2012 at 1:36 pm
How does one replace organizations that are self appointed?
7.
Fluffyskunk | October 25, 2012 at 7:04 pm
By setting up your own? Call it Call Out the Lies, Inc. Or the No More Sad Piano Music Fund. Make it a selling point in fundraising that you're not going to waste the money on the same tired old bulls–t that cost us California and Maine in 2008 and 2009. That's how. Somebody needs to do it.
8.
Stefan in CA | October 25, 2012 at 11:52 am
Part 2. A poster here has said that WUM told him that they held focus groups and that there was a decision to not be too aggressive. If this is the case, there is a very good possibility you, and marriage equality lose. It's that simple. The feel good ads are good, but no matter how much $$$$ you have, if you don't tell people that what they're being told by the opposition is not true, they'll have every reason to think that there's some truth behind it. NOM is brutal and will do whatever it takes. If WUM doesn't fight back by directly addressing the lies (in addition to the feel good ads), you will lose. Forget about the polls. It's the voting booths that matter. Hasn't anyone learned from Prop 8 or by Minnisota marriage minutes or NOM,etc. They'll stop at nothing, and if you're not right there saying not true, and explaining why, it will turn into 37-0. I'm straight and a strong supporter of marriage equality, but it's very frustrating to not see the right kind of ads in place to accompany the ones that have been aired.
9.
Steve | October 25, 2012 at 12:58 pm
The fact that they're relying on what a focus group tells them to do, DESPITE overwhelming evidence (as in 30-something losses in a row) should tell you something…
Either they don't want to win, don't care if they win or not, or are incredibly inept.
If I got my ass beaten 30 or more times in a row doing the same thing, I think I'd have to look at myself and say "what am I doing wrong here?"
Apparently, that's not the case here. It's "what I'm doing is right, but people just don't *know* it's right…yet. Sure do hope they come around before I get my ass beaten another 30 times!"
Frankly, I'm about to quit caring, if you all can't even get in the ring to fight for yourselves.
10.
Mike Ho. | October 25, 2012 at 1:06 pm
<img src="http://www.newautoquote.us/ikeas/loo.jpg"/> Thanks for the new round-up Scott, appreciate it!<img src="http://www.newautoquote.us/xboz/jj.jpg"/>