Some good news from Tennessee with gay marriage

[SouthernBelle82]

Here in Tennessee on the local news my mother saw they were talking about early voting and there are some amendments on the ballot and one is an anti-gay marriage ban amendment. According to my mother on the story about the amendment many people who were questioned at the polling place today said they were just going over the amendment and not voting. Some people were not voting because they either didn't understand what it was (the language was written weird) or they just didn't care. I think people are no longer caring about being anti-gay marriage and more people are being open-minded. I'm thinking about going and voting early since that seems to be what a lot of people are doing. I'm surprised so many people are voting early to be honest. But I just wanted to report this good news so hopefully a bill won't pass this time around (or ever) on the anti-gay marriage nonsense and our governor won't have to sign anything (he personally has said he's against it and he's not a DLC democrat either).

[SharonAnn]

1. Here in East TN, Early Voting is WAY up from historical levels. Could

be several reasons for it:
1. Most polling places had 1 hr. plus lines for August 3rd election.
2. More controversy because of Ford - Corker race
3. Anti gay marriage amendment and property tax freeze approval forover 65
4. Package liquor stores approval in our two municipalities. Anti-booze contingent isout in force.

[ktowntennesseedem]

2. I hope it confuses the RWers.

You have to vote yes to uphold the proposed ban on gay marriage, and no to reject the ban. Hopefully enough will think they are voting against gay marriage by voting no, and the whole thing fails.

My worry about the whole thing, though, is this: confused or not over this issue, that same bunch won't be confused when it comes to casting at vote for Corker over Ford.

[SouthernBelle82]

5. It appears to

According to my mother there were lots of people interviewed who were confused on the amendment. It shows me the rightwingers don't care that much for it and just are using the issue to get voters out.

[kerstin]

3. You're right. Dem. Governor Bredesen is to the right of most DLCers.

Hell he's to the right of the Republican governor who preceded him. Not only did the Republican Sundquist work to preserve Tenncare (the state health-care program for the poor and uninsurables), he fought for a state income tax in order to fund it. Former HMO exec. Bredesen callously dismantled the first, depriving thousands of Tennesseans of their health-care services (and yes he did have a choice -- Tenncare actually saved the state money), he also noisily ran for his first term as governor on a "no new taxes" theme. Governor Bredesen's recent NYT editorial on establishing health care as a national priority is nothing less than a sick joke (pardon the pun). My hunch is that Bredesen is positioning himself as Democratic vp material in a brazenly deceptive Republicanesque fashion.

Bredesen is a DINO. The Democrats know it and the Republicans know it. One reason he consistently polls higher with the latter.

[SouthernBelle82]

4. Just a correction

I said Bredesen is a moderate and he's NOT in the DLC and I believe he's not a DINO. I don't agree with some things he does like sending the troops to the boarder (not their job and especially not with the TN gaurd) and also him agreeing to sign the anti-gay amendment if it passed just because it did. Bredesen is friendly towards "faith based groups" (but doesn't do like Bush and just work with them) and also has done some other things I'm sure republicans would agree with like not raising taxes and everything with illegal immigration even though he also goes for the companies who knowingly hire illegal immigrants which is the route of the problem I think.
I don't think he should have demolished the TennCare but he could have made the program he did make and have it as an option for people instead of totally doing away with it. I'm personally mixed on Bredesen and national health care. I do think he is serious about it because he and his wife used to work in the health care business before he did politics. So it appears to me you're only calling Bredesen a DINO because you disagree with him on health care and what he did with that. Not very wise imho. You should look at everything with Bredesen and he's still a moderate democrat and he is NOT DLC.

[Wiley50]

6. I'm in Lebanon, 40 miles east of Nashville PLSE Don't vote Early

We really need to have a MASSIVE TURNOUT on Nov 7

Votes cast on election day get counted right away
and show up in the media right away

Absentee, Early,or Provisional often don't get counted
unless the vote is very close, and then it sometimes
takes days, or even never

If we flood the polls on election day it really
reduces the chance that the election can be stolen
and then spun by media to rationalize it

We need to show up enmasse

[Lars39]

7. That's **very** important, Wiley50!

Especially knowing the repubs are mailing out flyers encouraging everyone to vote early.

And I didn't know you were in TN, too! :hi: