Here's why Prop 2 went down in flames:

[PDittie]

There's about a dozen nuggets of wisdom in this article so go read it all...

Blacks and Hispanics who traditionally vote Democratic strongly backed the state's gay marriage ban at the ballot box this week, sometimes outpolling Republicans, analysts said Wednesday.

That broad interest across political lines contributed to the highest participation in a constitutional amendment election since 1991, with roughly 18 percent of registered voters turning out for Tuesday's election.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry rallied his evangelical, socially conservative base on the issue, but political analysts said Proposition 2's success doesn't necessarily predict future success for individual politicians.

"I don't see how it can be useful for a party or a candidate because this so transcends all the political parties and the typical categorizations," said Kelly Shackelford, president of the conservative Free Market Foundation, which backed the amendment. "We didn't even call Republican homes. *cough*bullshit*cough* We called Hispanics, African-Americans and rural Texas voters. That's where the numbers were," he said. Others agreed, noting that religion and family values resonate in traditionally Democratic precincts with large minority populations.

Last paragraph:

"What Perry did with the evangelicals was an organizational effort," Stein said. "Liberals tend to view those people as rabid dogs. They're not. They're sophisticated. They're organized. Church is just another organization."

This was a dry run in terms of GOTV for the primary in March and the general in November.

We're getting outworked again, folks.

[acmejack]

1. They had robo callers

I was called four times about this. We had calls from Abbott, Perry and some other GOP luminaries. We didn't get outworked up here. We were beaten by that GOP specialty, touchstone issues.

[PDittie]

2. In the immortal words of Mike Scanlon

former DeLay press secretary and Abramoff consort:

"The wackos get their information through the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet and telephone trees," Scanlon wrote in the memo, which was read into the public record at a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "Simply put, we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them."

[acmejack]

3. I suppose what the question should be "What is our response to be?"

How do we fight it? I have engaged in all the recommended activities, if they are ineffective (and obviously they are) what are we to do?

I have seen our state and it's inhabitants be vilified here and elsewhere, but I will not move (yet). In all honesty, I have nowhere to go. Unemployed, fiftyish, skill set obsolete, actually I can't afford to go elsewhere. So I'm in this for the long haul.

So what should we do about all this?

[PDittie]

4. The best answer I have for you is

what you may be doing already, and what I am doing myself: volunteering at the precinct level.

I'm now the (appointed) precinct chair, but I'm really a precinct captain in that I have no interest in running the polling place on Election Day (fortunately Harris County has plenty of people willing to do that, and only that). I want to organize the precinct for GOTV purposes, and that means going door-to-door.

But if you can't do anything but answer phones at the county party HQ, then do that.

This is going to take awhile. Perhaps a generation or two. But it MUST be done.

[Poet Lariat]

5. You hit the nail on the head

In Texas, it seems that change will only come over the long haul. Governor Dean and the Dem's efforts to regain prominence in Texas have a long way to go. But at least we have a start. If the MSM can learn to do their jobs again and if some of the GOTV efforts aimed at the younger voters come to fruition, we have hope for the future.

[sonias]

7. I agree it is going to take a long, long time PDittie

The poll numbers with the 25 and under age group is totally reversed with 3-1 supporting gay rights and gay marriage. When we're older and all the really old people in Texas die, this state may get back on track.

The other thing we can do, if it's our passion, is to get back into the church and change the attitudes from within. Any conversation you have with a really religious person has to be couched carefully. Do not attack their beliefs. You have to work with the fairness of the issue and the hypocrisy of selective interpretation of the bible. If they're really concerned about traditional marriage, do they support making divorce illegal? Are they willing to make adultery a felony? Hey that one's in the Top Ten Thou Shalt Nots.

We need new tools like an easy "The Bible's Literal Verses for Dummies" that highlight the other alleged sins that the bible says are sins, and yet we do them all the time. When are the really religious going to start taking those literally too? Eating pork and shellfish are a sin according to Leviticus. Why only pick on one supposed sin and ignore the others if the bible is the true, whole word of God. It's obvious that there has been selected interpretation and that the bible was written by man and not God.


Sonia

[NoPasaran]

8. Be careful what you wish for

AUSTIN – Texas social conservatives want to translate their resounding victory on a gay marriage ban into broader results: reducing the state's divorce rate and passing a nationwide amendment to prevent same-sex unions.

Rep. Warren Chisum, who wrote the amendment, Proposition 2, endorsed by Texas voters by a ratio of more than 3-1, said Wednesday that it's too easy for spouses to split up. The state should consider repealing or modifying its no-fault divorce law, the Pampa Republican said.

"Gee whiz, our divorce rate's higher than New York," Mr. Chisum said. He proposed that between now and their next regular session in 2007, lawmakers study ways "to make marriage thrive more in our state."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/111005dntexprop2.7a85398.html]

[sonias]

10. Forced marriage!

You gotta just think this state is total nuts. There has got to be something in Schism Chisum's background we can use. That wingnut is not sane.

Sonia

[kevinbgoode]

6. Hate always brings out the vote

especially when they can target the most vulnerable citizens.

Of course, now the loonies are planning on attacking divorce laws in Texas - now why weren't THEY part of that "necessary" constitutional amendment?

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

9. Another reason: Same-sex marriage is way before its time

How can we have the right to marry before we even have the right to be free of workplace discrimination? Marriage rights but no civil rights??

Let's go back a decade when gay marriage was on no one's radar, not even HRC and other GLBT-rights organizations. A few Rosa Parks types, who were tired of sitting at the back of the bus, went to their county vital records office and demanded marriage licenses. Suddenly, with a few friendly court decisions, it became an issue thrust upon a country not ready to think about it. And still isn't. I never would have believed that we would even be having this discussion in my lifetime, so I guess that's progress. It's clear that this state and country are not ready for gay marriage, but it sure pisses me off that a big chuck of the electorate wants to close off that discussion forever.

[Stevious]

11. Voter apathy

This issue doesn't even affect the 77% of the 16% of the voters that voted for it. If you didn't get out and vote against it, you're just as much to blame, in my book.

Anyway, how is that small number of Texas voters "the voice of the people"?

[PDittie]

12. Because they're (those who voted) the ones who

opened their mouths, so to speak. They (the ones who didn't) actually make our voices louder by staying home.

We could also cast dispersions at people who aren't registered to vote...

Complaining about non-voters -- registered or not -- is like tilting at windmills, with all due respect. Yes, we can blame these morans for not taking their citizenship seriously, but they couldn't care less about our denunciation.

I think the number was 18% of registered voters who cast ballots last Tuesday, and compared to past off-year elections, that was large. (16% in '97, 12% in 2001, IIRC).

[Stevious]

13. uh...

Nobody made our voice any louder by staying home. Look at the spin on this one by the press, it's not the 16% or 18% that they're trumpeting, it's the 76% or 77%.

[Poet Lariat]

14. More related discussion at this DU thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1916300