MyDD :: Key GOP Tactic Failing in Key State

Key GOP Tactic Failing in Key State

by spirograph, Fri Jul 28, 2006 at 08:52:20 AM EST

So CNN reports that the most "representative" state in the country is now Wisconsin:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/27/m g.thu/index.html

This is important, because Wisconsin is also where a key Republican strategy -- antigay constitutional amendments -- has run out of steam. A recent poll found supporters and opponents of the ban in Wisconsin in a statistical dead heat:

http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article =66198

Fair Wisconsin, the group leading the campaign against the ban, is already running TV ads and has volunteer coordinators at work in all 72 Wisconsin counties.

This has the potential to give the Republicans their first-ever black eye on this issue.

Fair Wisconsin is showing that it's possible to take this tactic and give the Republicans the exact opposite of what they wanted: a strong campaign that draws people out to vote from the progressive side instead of the conservative side -- and all this in the most "representative" state in the country.

It's a sign of things to come...

Tags: 2006, gay rights, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, lgbt, Wisconsin (all tags)

Permalink :: 3 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Key GOP Tactic Failing in Key State (none / 0)

I think the GOP may have picked the wrong state to try this, if in fact that's the case.

Wisconsin has a pretty strong gay prescnece, especially in Madison, doesn't it?

Where's the next anti-gay marriage initiative going to be? San Francisco?

One can always count on right-wingers to eventually pick a fight they can't win.

by spirowasright on Fri Jul 28, 2006 at 11:59:10 AM EST

Re: Key GOP Tactic Failing in Key State (none / 0)

Yeah, Madison and Wisconsin generally are pretty gay-friendly (Wisc. passed the country's first state gay rights law in 1982), but I think there's more to this than that. If the GOP had been able to get this on the ballot in 2004, it almost certainly would have passed, just like it did in other Blue states like Oregon and Michigan.

But now, there's been time for the idea of marriage equality to sink in, people are starting to see this as the diversion it is, and there's also been time to build grassroots opposition to these amendments. That's what the campaign here has done so well.

If Wisconsin wins, I think it will be a kind of demonstration that these amendments can be beaten back and turned into something that actually hurts the Republicans who wanted to exploit this issue, instead of helping them.

by spirograph on Fri Jul 28, 2006 at 12:35:25 PM EST

Re: Key GOP Tactic Failing in Key State (none / 0)

Intersting that the most representative state has a Democratic governor, two Democratic Senators, and has gone blue ever year since 1992.

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for a century.

by jkfp2004 on Fri Jul 28, 2006 at 01:38:48 PM EST

You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.