Quote :

"Anecdotal, but literally every republican I know voted against. This was very clearly a religiously divided issue, every bit of the rhetoric revolved around 'doing god's work'."

This.

I think this amendment followed religious lines much more so than party line.

5/9/2012 1:58:37 PM

Quote :

"^so your qualm is that republicans showed up to vote? Hey, since they're against big government, then they should boycott elections."

dude...no. the qualm is that Republicans are supposedly for small government, but tend to vote for government control of social issues

5/9/2012 1:59:50 PM

The term conservative is so broad now a day as it is used. I agree, it would be hypocritical if you claim to be ardently for smaller govt., less govt. intrusion and voted for this. I feel often that a lot of fiscal conservative policies clash with religious conservative policies.

I tend to stray slightly towards the fiscal conservative, classic liberal end of the spectrum. Usually when I use the word "fiscal conservative" I have had a lot of people automatically assume I am a Republican, just like when I say "classical liberal" I have had some assume I am a Democrat.

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 2:01 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2012 2:00:24 PM

^ not this <--- guy

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 2:02 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2012 2:00:28 PM

I like when bigun20 shows up in threads

that guy is about as smart as the last shit I left in the toilet

5/9/2012 2:14:35 PM

It begins...

http://pundithouse.com/2012/05/james-edges-driggs-pushes-to-scrap-county-employee-benefits-for-same-sex-couples/

Quote :

"But less than eight hours after taking the win in the heavily Republican district, James’ attention wasn’t focused on his General Election opponent, Democrat Connie Green-Johnson, but on how the results of Tuesday night’s Amendment One vote would impact Mecklenburg County employee policy. The constitutional amendment, which makes marriage between a man and a woman the “only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized” in North Carolina, easily won approval at the polls with a 61 percent margin. In that light, James is already pushing Mecklenburg to scrap its policy that provides domestic partner health insurance benefits to employees in same-sex relationships. The county has been offering same-sex benefits to employees since commissioners approved the policy in 2009."

5/9/2012 2:17:03 PM

^ I was actually going to post this too as well Diva. Its likely going to become a legal battle that will go up through the courts and impact, Chapel Hill, Durham, and any of the cities that currently offer benefits.

He sent an email out last night about his intents to push to remove the benefits.

Quote :

"Officials in Durham and Orange counties said they have no plans to eliminate benefits for employees in same-sex relationships. Dinan said Michigan's highest court ruled that state's amendment did affect such benefits."

Likely cities will have to cease the benefits if it plays out like Michigan.

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 2:34 PM. Reason : g]

5/9/2012 2:20:39 PM

Quote :

"I don't feel as though it was Obama's place to comment on a state amendment. I'm sure he has an opinion, but it doesn't matter in the realm of North Carolina politics."

He would do well right now to at least come out and say he would have voted against.

I'm surprised they haven't said something already. I imagine his worthless team of advisers is trying to figure out what the political thing to do is vs the correct thing to do.

5/9/2012 2:34:22 PM

sooo . . no new sources then?

5/9/2012 2:34:30 PM

that guy seems to thing that those benefits are only given to homosexuals.

nm, looks like it does...

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 2:43 PM. Reason : s]

5/9/2012 2:39:13 PM

well his team is trying to make light of what Biden said about gay marriage at the moment (I mean I completely agree with him, but the crazies out there are harping on the campaign for what he said).

5/9/2012 2:40:23 PM

Quote :

"dude...no. the qualm is that Republicans are supposedly for small government, but tend to vote for government control of social issues "

Yeah, didn't think that was a difficult concept but I guess it was

5/9/2012 2:46:53 PM

Lots of sources on Twitter are saying this is legit, the video was just accidentally posted early.

Yep. It's on the ABC news front page.

http://abcnews.go.com/

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 3:00 PM. Reason : .]

5/9/2012 2:59:30 PM

5/9/2012 3:00:40 PM

It's on NPR too so it must be true

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/09/152356770/president-obama-gay-marriage-should-be-legal

5/9/2012 3:10:53 PM

#1. with repubs, most of the arguement is about Federalism..
#2. Let's rewrite your arguement and see if you see the fallacy...

dude...no. the qualm is that Democrats are supposedly for Large government, but tend to vote against government control of social issues.

First, these are completely independent issues. Second, if the law would have been to only allow gay marriage, repubs would have voted against it. Does that mean repubs tend to vote against government control of social issues? Does that now mean they are for small government and therefore against control of all social issues? Of course not. It depends on the issue and how the law is written.

5/9/2012 3:12:28 PM

wat

5/9/2012 3:15:37 PM

bigun likes the word "qualm"

5/9/2012 3:16:32 PM

*claps* Good job Mr. President!

5/9/2012 3:23:21 PM

well played Obama

5/9/2012 3:28:46 PM

Be careful, Mr. President. You are beginning to become someone with principles!

5/9/2012 3:32:59 PM

Well played, I guess.

But it's annoying. He has to walk us through his "evolution," trying to persuade bigots to understand his journey towards this point of view...when we all know he's probably supported gay marriage for like 20 or 30 years already.

I suppose I appreciate the diplomacy.

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 3:35 PM. Reason : ]

5/9/2012 3:33:35 PM

He'd lose votes if he pulled some hipster "I was supportive of gay marriage before it was cool" bullshit.

5/9/2012 3:35:40 PM

Well, he asserted his support for gay marriage in 1996 so...the crap about his evolution is a lie.

(And it's not about the hipster bit. It's about tempering his views so he looks less liberal to middle-of-the-road voters. He can't come out and say, "I've always thought gays should be married if they want to be. That's always been obvious to me" because idiots would be all .)

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 3:41 PM. Reason : ...]

5/9/2012 3:36:36 PM

^^lol

5/9/2012 3:37:09 PM

PLEASE TELL ME YOU GUYS SAW THIS COMING.


1) First they rig the vote and get gay marriage banned in NC.

2) Second, You guys begin doubting each other.

3) Third, Obama comes out for Gay marriage, which, IF in fact the vote was legitimate, Obama wouldn't risk his presidency on being pro-gay.

They knew all along that the majority is pro-gay and lesbian. There is no reason not to be, unless you're a religious nut and there are a lot less religious nuts than normal people.





Who is the gay and lesbian obviously going to be fooled into voting for next election?

5/9/2012 3:43:00 PM

bigun20

Quote :

"Are you saying we should make marying your cousin illegal?"

yes. I realize this invalidates the marriage between your mom and dad, but inbreeding is not a good thing.

5/9/2012 3:54:10 PM

hahahaha

5/9/2012 3:57:45 PM

^ not arguing the policy and name calling is a sign of losing the debate....just sayin'

5/9/2012 3:59:47 PM

I'm not debating, i'm being a dick.

you can't change the minds of inbred redneck dickfors.

you can only mock them and hope that they don't reproduce.

5/9/2012 4:01:46 PM

Quote :

"Well played, I guess. But it's annoying. He has to walk us through his "evolution," trying to persuade bigots to understand his journey towards this point of view...when we all know he's probably supported gay marriage for like 20 or 30 years already. I suppose I appreciate the diplomacy."

It's well played in the sense that at the peak of anger about an issue that united nonreligious conservatives and liberals Obama swoops in to capitalize on this. Unlike the bullshit taxation quibbles, this is a civil rights issue. It resonates on a deeper level than other issues, and it's cathartic to know that someone in the highest position is on the right side publicly, for the first time ever. this will go a long way to energize the youth vote, and snare centrists and some conservatives angry about the religious right hijacking things.

I've seen people, very close friends in fact, who have never expressed an inkling of concern about politics, and whom I thought hated gays, express anger about the passing of A1. Just keep bringing up the fact it was republicans that pushed through amendment 1, and they'll pull in voters.

5/9/2012 4:13:00 PM

Despite the fact the big voters in old religious people would agree, it hurts the republican party over the next few cycles if Romney has to battle with Obama in why gays are evil.

If course, Romney could come out in favor of gay marriage and take the air from O'bamas sails.

5/9/2012 4:16:21 PM

^ that would be kind of funny.

I think the evangelicals' heads would collectively explode.

5/9/2012 4:18:04 PM

lol

5/9/2012 4:18:20 PM

hahahahha

5/9/2012 4:23:37 PM

meanwhile, two clicks away from ^, we have Praise be to Allah for YouTube Says Kate Upton Cat Daddy Video is No Longer Haraam

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 4:25 PM. Reason : and the Nation finds this Inspiring]

5/9/2012 4:24:20 PM

Quote :

"moron: It's well played in the sense that at the peak of anger about an issue that united nonreligious conservatives and liberals Obama swoops in to capitalize on this."

Interesting. I didn't think of it like this at all...I still can't believe people in other parts of the country care about what happened in North Carolina especially when it's already happened in so many other states. It is crazy to think that Obama would have planned this announcement based on what happened here! But I guess he did?

^^^The guys who wrote that headline must either hate themselves or think the whole world is one giant joke anyway.

5/9/2012 4:26:43 PM

I wonder if Obama if just "happening" to flip flop during an election year?

5/9/2012 4:33:58 PM

Definitely a move to energize the youth vote that elected him handily in 2008. There's hardly any political risk because anyone who voted against Obama is probably already against gay marriage. He just has to worry about evangelical blacks but I don't see them deserting him.

[Edited on May 9, 2012 at 5:00 PM. Reason : ]

5/9/2012 4:59:18 PM

It's a pretty ballsy move on Obama's part, but after Biden's gaffe on Sunday (in which Biden said he supports same sex marriage), Obama's position (which was he opposes same sex marriage but his views are "evolving") was becoming more and more untenable. Suddenly, they tried to spin it like nothing's changed and Obama and Biden's views were the same, but people weren't buying it. Additionally people noted Obama and the DNC were blatantly ignoring the NC amendment while he repeatedly visited the state to campaign. It was time to shit or get off the pot.

5/9/2012 5:01:19 PM

I wonder if supporting gay marriage would get him more or less votes than supporting marijuana legalization.

5/9/2012 5:01:46 PM

I CANNOT BELIEVE OBAMA HAS DECLARED A WAR ON MARRIAGE!!!
HE'S PROBABLY SENDING IN THE DRONES AS WE TYPE!

5/9/2012 5:18:49 PM

^^ Stoners are too lazy to vote so probably more.

5/9/2012 5:31:36 PM

that's not true! i have anecdotal evidence!

5/9/2012 5:32:25 PM

Quote :

"I have been thinking on how to respond to yesterday's vote. As was obvious from my earlier posts, I consider yesterday a failure of the first magnitude. We have taken an entire group of American citizens and classified them as second-class citizens. I am not a staunch gay-rights advocate; I am a staunch civil-rights advocate, and the only "crime" that gays and unmarried couples committed was that they didn't believe the same way as those who were in the majority. I am as disappointed in my fellow NC'ers as I could ever be. Those who voted "yes" have condemned fellow Americans, those same Americans who have fought and died, voted and paid taxes, served on juries, civic organizations and yes, even contributed their time, effort and wealth to religious causes... all because of a few lines written over 3000 years ago by an Egyptian exile desert nomad sheep herder who was always ALONE when he talked to God. And they have cherry picked the passages they want and ignored the passages they don't. I could go on, but I won't. I've said it before. But now I'll say something new to those who voted "yes"... I am your worst nightmare. You know why? Because I am a teacher. And I have made it my life's mission to educate young people. I have and will continue to teach young Americans (and even non-Americans who have ended up in my classes) how to think for themselves. I will continue to teach them to question authority, not to destroy it, but to keep it honest. I will continue to teach them that compassion is not a word, it is action. I will continue to teach them logic and reason. I will continue to teach them civic virtue. I will continue to teach them the history of mankind in all of its ugly glory, not just the sanitized version of the politically correct of both sides. I will continue to teach them about ALL religions, not just the one's they are comfortable with. I will continue to teach them the value of science and doubt. I will continue to teach them to not just accept what they are told, but to hold it up to truth and examination. I will continue to teach them uncomfortable facts and show them the mirror to their own thinking. But most of all, I will continue to teach them to think, Think, THINK! And to make up their own minds. And I have enough faith in the better nature of mankind that I believe that one day, at some point in the near future, those of us who do think and question and value reason and logic will win out in the end and reverse the hate and bigotry demonstrated in yesterday's vote. The fight has just begun."

my 10th/12th grade history teacher and State alumnus to boot. he's christian fwiw

5/9/2012 5:45:52 PM

^melodrama? on my facebook?

5/9/2012 5:52:44 PM

From a friend of mine on FB:

Quote :

"I think that if you are sad about amendment 1 then you should post something on Facebook about it. That will change it!"

Someone clearly doesn't understand what facebook is used for...

5/9/2012 6:04:04 PM

Quote :

"What baffles me are Republicans that voted for it. I thought Republicans were for small government."

haha. someone thinks that either party wants less gov't.

Quote :

"In 1997, we issued a report identifying 1,049 federal statutory provisions classified to the United States Code in which benefits, rights, and privileges are contingent on marital status or in which marital status is a factor."

And I'll bet that every single one of them is either not a right or is something that is attainable without being married.

Quote :

"Rights - benefits, what's the difference?"

What isn't the difference? The gov't doesn't give you rights. You already fucking had them. We then decide whether the gov't must respect those rights or not.

Quote :

"Actually, domestic unions are a right."

Yes, the ability to form the union is a right, sure. All of the benefits that you then associate with that union that are granted by the gov't, those are not rights.

Quote :

"If your partner is in the hospital, you'd no longer have the legal right to make decisions on their behalf."

Unless you signed power of attorney privileges in case of incapacitation.

Quote :

"If your partner dies unexpectedly, you are no longer recognized as a family member or spouse in dealing with the Estate."

Same thing as above.

Quote :

"There's no way to get a single insurance policy of any sort without going to another state to establish a civil union. "

You don't have a right to force someone else to accept a private contract.

Quote :

"Not to mention there's now no way to file taxes jointly, which means fewer deductions and more taxes paid for homosexuals"

And that's a gov't benefit.

So, remind me again, where are the lost rights?

5/9/2012 7:34:33 PM

burro not familiar with the word "contingent"

5/9/2012 7:38:01 PM

Ernie not familiar with what a right is

5/9/2012 7:49:08 PM