President Barack Obama's 2008 popular vote victory, roughly 53% of the electorate, should be considered "narrow" in retrospect, perhaps.
After all, ABC News editors consider a similar margin of victory for same-sex marriage opponents in Maine last night to be "narrow."
The headline and subheader for Devin Dwyer's November 4 story:
Maine Gay Marriage Law Repealed: Voters Narrowly Approve Measure, Dealing Blow To Same-Sex Couples
To his credit, Dwyer himself avoided characterizing the 6-point margin of victory as narrow:
The tide of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples -- which has swept across New England in recent months -- has stopped at Maine.
Voters rejected 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 the country to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, but instead becomes the 31st state to oppose the unions in a popular vote.
With 87 percent of precincts reporting as of 2 a.m. today, gay marriage opponents claimed 53 percent of the vote to supporters' 47 percent.
A better headline might have been:
31 for 31: With 53% opposed, Maine becomes latest state to reject gay marriage by voter referendum
Of course that would paint Maine voters as within the national mainstream of opinion of same-sex marriage, while taking away what editors may have intended as a subliminal swipe at what they see as a "narrow"-minded Maine electorate.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
When it goes in their favor
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:06 ET by doug1950it is a "mandate" even if it is is a 1% margin, when it goes against them it is the narrowest of margins (6% difference in this case) and reason to question the motives and intentions of any and all participants.
Obama's 2008 popular vote
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:29 ET by notonmywatchObama's 2008 popular vote victory, roughly 53% of the electorate, should be considered "narrow"
Absolutely it should. Even running against Juan McCain, The Man Nobody Wanted, STILL almost half the country voted against 0.
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Moral Victory
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:09 ET by BlondeOnly in liberal land, and in Knoxville, TN (Lame Kitten and the Girls) can a LOSS be put in the imaginary win column as a Moral Victory.
We conservatives, and members of the SEC, laugh at your Moral Victories as we continue our quest for the big prize. Hope that Moral Victory keeps ya'll warm at night.
I hope he fails, too.
Ken, that was a narrow
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:11 ET by MikeBKen, that was a narrow victory. The margin should have been 80 points: 90% to 10%, the same ratio as strait to gay in this country.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
LOL. Go to CNN today. Election? What election?
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:14 ET by jazboOh wait, there it is down in the small print...
"Democrats; Breeding voters like farm animals since 1962"
George III lives
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 13:08 ET by KC MulvilleHas there ever been clearer evidence of the disconnect between the political class and the ordinary citizen?
We're dealing with a political class that shows, everyday, on every issue, that they don't care about the consent of the governed. They want the authority of government but refuse to respect the source of that authority: the consent of the people. They believe they have authority over us because they're smarter, or they're more compassionate, or something else -- in other words, they think they have authority on their own.
Such is the spark of revolutions ...
I agree with everything....
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 13:29 ET by ontheright...you say KC; except I am not so generous as you by mentioning the Dems only - they are ALL rotten to the core and ALL should/will be held accountable in 2010 (if only sooner).
It's the only way "We the People" will regain our Republic.
My 2 cents.
It was interesting watching
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 14:03 ET by celatorIt was interesting watching the reactions of the reporters on Maine television as the votes began coming in on Question One after 8 pm. At first the "keep gay marriage" votes were winning, as the votes in the southern socialist radical part of Maine were counted. The reporters were smiling, happy, optimistic.
As the votes from the other parts of Maine began to come in and added to the count, the shift to repeal the Legislatively sanctioned gay marriage law became strong. Governor Baldacci, who strongly supported gay marriage, was nervous and antzy on TV. He had a long, long face. Reporters began looking pretty glum. "Whether we win or lose," he said, "it's still a step forward for 'civil rights'", he said in his usual monotone.
Then the vote shifted a lot toward repeal of the gay marriage law. It became obvious that the normal citizens of the state were not going to go along with the Legislators and the Governor and were going to reject the gay marriage scheme.
Reporters got very, very serious, and glum and sad. It was as obvious as daylight. I thought one of them was going to cry right there in television. How could this happen??
The pro gay marriage people refused to concede for a long long time, far into the night. Nope, more votes might come in. They couldn't possibly lose. Something was wrong. They behaved like spoiled brats, astounded that their little scheme had been rejected by the people.
And so it was.
No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.
Thanks for that local
Wed, 11/04/2009 - 14:37 ET by MaximusBraveheartThanks for that local insight. AND those media and elites are the people influencing the public. Not to mention the public school socialist influence. M-B
huh?
Thu, 11/05/2009 - 03:38 ET by Ankharan"No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or
property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States."
What an obvious ploy to take away from the real problem. The problem is the same thing with what happened with Women, Blacks, and anyone else that were not White and male.
It is okay to stomp all over ones freedom of choice, right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness... so long as it is the other fellow.
This is not only Obama. This has been going on in this country since it was founded. Sure... people lie to pop off about freedom and rights... so lonjg as they can surpress the other preson because they do not believe in the lifestyle the other person lives. Effing Hypocrites. At least be honest about it.
Don't want gay marriage? Don't marry a gay person. Pretty simple yes?
Equality under the law.. or is that just something you all like to toss out there when it is one of yours being denied basic human rights you afford to one another but deny the very same to citizens of your same country.
Illness of the mind to support such contradictions.
So marry in teh church of
Thu, 11/05/2009 - 03:52 ET by Dan The Man 2So marry in teh church of your choice but dont expect others or teh government to respect it as anything outside of the church. That is what you meant right?