We're not
crashing it yet, in the true Kosian sense, but there are some indications that Wisconsin voters are lining up for a special place in history, and are preparing to rip the gate from its hinges.
Even if you don't live here, you can help complete the crash. (End of CTG metaphor abuse; I promise)
You see, a strange thing happened on the way to Wisconsin's gay marriage ban. The money has lined up on the side of defeating the ban -- by a mindboggling ratio of $500 to $1. And the polls say we have a ballgame.
Let's look at some of the anecdotal signs:
1. Money
Fair Wisconsin, the group trying to defeat the ban, has outraised the wingnut advocacy Group Vote Yes for Marriage by a margin of $1,300,000 to $2,454 during the first half of 2006 -- that's a 529-to-1 ratio. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Fair Wisconsin, the group fighting the amendment, reported raising $1.3 million in the first six months of 2006, spending $218,204 and having $1.1 million cash on hand.
Vote Yes for Wisconsin, working to pass the amendment, had raised $2,454 in the same period, spent $548 and had $1,906 cash on hand.
2. Polls
The two most recent polls provide conflicting levels of hope.
A Badger Poll conducted with 508 Wisconsin registered voters last month showed 52.6% support for the amendment, and 44.1% opposition. The margin of error is 4%.
A WisPolitics.com poll surveyed more people (600) and revealed only 48.5% support, and 47.8% opposition -- a dead heat.
3. Strange Bedfellows
The Wisconsin State Journal -- traditionally Madison's right-leaning daily -- stunned tens of thousands of people Thursday with an editorial titled, "Gay Marriage Ban Would Be Mistake." Excerpts:
A constitutional ban on gay marriage would harm Wisconsin's economy.
Indeed, the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage and civil unions would post a "gays unwelcome" sign on Wisconsin's borders. With the state's businesses already complaining of shortages of skilled employees, making Wisconsin less attractive to a population of willing workers is a bad idea.
...
Wisconsin law already limits marriage to a man and woman. The proposed amendment is designed to ensure that the law won't change, even if public opinion does. It would put the weight of the state constitution behind the gay marriage ban.
The ban on gay marriage is far more than symbolic. Gays would suffer practical and costly consequences. The constitutional ban would ensure that gay couples were cut out of nearly 200 legal benefits and protections that Wisconsin affords to married couples.
Those benefits include the abilities to receive the medical records of a spouse, to seek worker's compensation claims if a spouse dies and to transfer real estate between spouses without a fee.
...
The ban on gay marriage is not only bad for the economy. It also violates the principles of freedom and equality that Wisconsin ought to stand for.
The ban is unequal treatment under the law. It promotes government meddling in private lives, and it is an obstacle to strong families.
(Emphasis mine)
In addition, but not surprisingly, the business advocacy group Downtown Madison, Inc. officially registered its opposition to the ban. It was that move that prompted the State Journal editorial above.
All good news, to be sure, but not good enough. If Wisconsin is to become the first state in the country to reject referendum-based constitutional discrimination against gays, we'll need a little more help.
For my part...
I signed the petition.
I donated money.
I'm hosting a house party.
I volunteered.
I'll be joining the action network.
If you can do any of these, or even just recommend this diary for the widest audience possible, you'd be helping tremendously.
Cautious optimism is very founded here. Let's push it over the top!