Baldacci, Gay Rights, Patriots Do Well in Poll - Bush and Eagles Get Cool Reception
The BDN reports on a Strategic Marketing Services state-wide poll released yesterday.
67% of those polled rated Baldacci's performance as governor as either good or excellent. The poll also found that 69% of Mainers supported at least same-sex civil unions and more than half of those supported full marriage rights. Support for Bush's partial privatization of Social Security was at 24%. 79% of those surveyed predicted the Patriots would win the superbowl.
The poll surveyed 400 Mainers and was conducted between Jan. 24 and Jan. 29. It has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
In tangentially related news, Baldacci has hired a new spokesman (AP story here).
Former freelance reporter Lynn Kippax of Kennebunkport will become Gov. John Baldacci's chief spokesman as of Monday, the administration announced.
Kippax will replace Lee Umphrey, who has headed the governor's communications office since Baldacci took office in 2003. Umphrey will oversee the governor's constituent services staff and become legislative liaison for Baldacci.
Kippax's website is www.kippax.com.
Visit the new Maine Politics.
posted by @ 1:49 PM 
5 comments
5 Comments:
Yesterday NY judges struck down the state's ban on gay marriage.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20050205/ts_latimes/nybanongaymarriageannulled
It is only a matter of time before Maine's judges and legislators will have the chance to prove to its citizens that it truly and completely supports equality and freedom.
Posted by Andy
While I applaud the NY decision, and from what I hear it's a pretty sound bit or reasoning, I fear it might hurt the cause of gay rights here in Maine. It makes the arguments of the far-right that gay civil rights leads to gay marriage seem plausible. The similar decision in Vermont in 2000 might have been what gave the pro-discrimination side of the Maine referendum their 0.4% margin of victory.
Posted by Mike
What are you referring to when you say, "pro-discrimination side of the Maine referendum their 0.4% margin of victory"? Sorry, I have only been a Mainer for a bit.
It could initially "hurt" gay rights in Maine, but I would say that's "par for the course." Having the issue pop up in the news is going to ignite the pro-discrimination bigots, but there is unfortunately no way around that (at least I can't think of one).
What if Mainers who supported "equality for all" initiated the discussion, using OUR frames. One problem is that we are usually on the defensive when it comes to this issue, and the other side's frame is already at work. Rather than waiting for the other side to mount an offensive to which we need to react, what if we encouraged Mainers to support equal-rghts for other Mainers.
Maybe we need to take the bull by the horns, and reframe the debate. We want "equality for all" in Maine, and no "second-class citizens" or discrimination. We support healthy, strong, and life-long marriages between two loving people, and we value the sanctity of marriage.
I don't know...maybe you're right.
Posted by Andy
Well I'm working on a longer post on the gay rights fight that is about to happen in the legislature (and then possibly in a referendum campaign), but I'll just give you a bit of background for now...
Since the 70s, gay rights advocates have been trying to get a law passed banning discrimination against gays in hiring, education, and housing (all of which is currently legal in Maine).
In 1995, a far-right group tried to pass a referendum forbidding any law outlawing this discrimination. The referendum thankfully failed 46.7% to 53.3%.
In 1996 an anti-discrimination law was finally passed in the legislature, but before it could go into effect, it was challenged in a "people's veto" by the Christian Civic League and other anti-gay groups. The law was overturned in a statewide referendum in February of 1997 51.3% to 48.7%.
In 2000 a new anti-discrimination law was passed and the legislature and Governor King chose to send it to voters to be approved. It failed 50.4% to 49.6%.
Baldacci will be trying to pass an anti-discrimination law again this session.
Oh, and welcome to Maine.
Posted by Mike
Thanks for the background - I didn't know any of that.
By the way, is your site setup to accept TrackBacks?
Posted by Andy