VT Democrats actually LEAD on the marriage issue

From a letter I just got from Vermont Democrats:

Governor Douglas said he will veto the Marriage Equality Bill passed by the Senate and about to be debated and voted on in the House. Douglas is wrong on this issue.

He says the debate is a distraction. Forcing a vote to over-ride the veto will distract our legislators from other important work.

He says separate-but-equal is acceptable. It wasn’t acceptable 50 years ago in the South and it’s not acceptable in Vermont now.

Amen.

The e-mail also includes several action steps from the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force:

  1. Come to the Statehouse tomorrow, Friday, at 8:45 a.m. We need to thank the Legislators for their leadership and to urge Gov. Douglas to change his mind. The Governor has a Legislative Open Door from 9am-9:30am. We’ll give you more instructions at the Statehouse.
  2. Call and email Gov. Douglas to express your outrage and urge him to change his mind. It’s not too late. Ph:802 828-3333 (toll-free in VT only: 800 649-6825) Email Gov. Douglas now.
  3. Contact your own Representative. If your Rep co-sponsored the House bill– thank him or her for his support, and urge your Rep to hold firm in moving S.115. Click here for a list of Representatives.
  4. Volunteer for Vermont Freedom to Marry: we need help with phone banks, local events, and many other things. Contact Robyn atfield_director@vtfreetomarry.org
  5. Make a donation. This is going to be a longer and costlier slog than we’d hoped. Please, donate generously. Together, we CAN get this done!
  6. Rally with us! We’re planning a series of events around the state this weekend– most on Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for details!

8 thoughts on “VT Democrats actually LEAD on the marriage issue

  1. if anything, I think Douglas’ press conference brought any Dems that might have been on the fence firmly over in support of marriage equality.  

    Time to finish the job!  Hope to see lots of folks at the Statehouse tomorrow…

  2. If you need any further proof that the balance has dramatically shifted on the marriage issue, this is it. I have to say that the Dems have not been noted for their courage in recent years; they’ve more often buckled under or ran for cover when confronted by Douglas and the GOP. I vote almost exclusively for Dems, but they can drive you nuts sometimes. Like the entire 2008 campaign, for instance.

    So… if the Dem leadership is stepping solidly out front like this, they must see this issue as a political winner. And that’s a true political sea change.

    (A sea change not reflected in media coverage, which has gone overboard to give the opposition “equal time” or even more than equal time, and has failed to report on the fact that the opposition has shrunk dramatically since the civil unions debate.)  

  3. http://www.vtgop.org/NewsBack….


    03.24.2009

    If the Democrats in Montpelier refuse Vermonters a voice on same sex marriage, let’s do it ourselves!

    by Rob Roper

    Help sponsor a phone-poll in your legislative district.

    When Republican Senator Kevin Mullin called for a non-binding statewide resolution on same sex marriage, the Vermont Senate, which is controlled by a Democrat “supermajority” shot it down 19-11. Senator Dick Sears (D-Bennington) pooh-poohed the idea of letting Vermonters have a say on this issue, “He said Vermonters ‘have a referendum every two years’ called elections.” (Bennington Banner, 3/21/09). Of course, Sears and his leadership have chosen now – the worst possible time for this issue to come up from a practical standpoint given the economy – precisely because it is as far away from one of those every two year referendums as possible. Real courageous!

    There is a reason the Democrats won’t allow this referendum – given the chance, Vermont  voters will disagree with them.  Convincingly.

    But, if the Democrats won’t give Vermonters a voice on same sex marriage, we can do it ourselves. For just $200 per legislative district, we can phone poll every household in the district on this question to find out how Vermonters really feel? So far, we have results from two districts, and both are overwhelmingly opposed (2-1 against) the Democrat leadership’s attempt to ram this bill through now.

    If you or a group of you would like to sponsor a phone poll in your legislative district, contact us ASAP at 802-223-3411 or vtgop@vtgop.org.  The same sex marriage bill starts a week of hearings in the house TODAY!

    It’s not a valid poll, of course – for many reasons.  The structure is that of a typical GOP voter ID campaign.

    For those who missed the prior posts, the script of the robocalls asks for one of the following answers:

    1. Now is not the time. The Legislature should be focused on economic issues.

    2. The Legislature should legalize same-sex marriage now.

    3. The Legislature should not legalize same-sex marriage.

  4.   Here are the results, so far…

    Georgia, Fairfax

    32% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    38% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    70%

    30% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Hardwick, Stannard, Walden

    33% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    31% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    64%

    36% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Braintree, Brookfield, Granville, Randolph

    29% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    35% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    64%

    36% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Alburg, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, Milton, North Hero, South Hero

    29% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    35% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    64%

    36% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Jericho, Bolton, Underhill

    24% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    30% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    54%

    46% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Cabot, Danville, Peacham

    31% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    34% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    65%

    35% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    St. Johnsbury

    28% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    41% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    69%

    31% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Topsham, Groton, Newbury

    28% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    44% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    72%

    28% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes, Waltham

    26% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    39% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    65%

    35% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Chelsea, Corinth, Orange, Vershire, Washington, Williamstown

    33% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    42% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    75%

    25% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Rutland 5-2

    34% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    34% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    68%

    32% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Rutland 5-3

    29% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    45% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    74%

    26% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Rutland 5-4

    32% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    38% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    70%

    30% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Manchester

    29% — Not now. The legislature should focus on economic issues.

    31% — No, the legislature should not pass same sex marriage.

    60%

    40% — Yes, the legislature should pass same sex marriage now.

    Its clear how bias this poll is. If you really look at the numbers on average only about 35% are saying they do not want to pass gay marriage. Of course you get a different result when you ask 3 questions. What would their poll look like with only the second and third question? Douglas is going against the majority of Vemonters and their fraud poll proves it.

Comments are closed.