It’s interesting to see Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reaction to today’s court ruling allowing gay marriage in California. While he’s vetoed bills allowing gay marriage in the past, he said today he respects the court’s decision and won’t support a constitutional amendment to shut out same-sex couples from getting the same marriage rights as straight couples.
To me, that seems to say that the Republican Governator may be trying to passively support gay rights to avoid the political suicide that being more overt about it would be. And, to me, that’s a good thing.
In case I’m being a little too vague about it, I’m a full supporter of equal rights. But I know that it’s not going to happen overnight - and I don’t think it should. Conservatives won’t accept equal rights right away. And just as it took years to get equal voting rights for all races and both sexes, it’ll take time for Americans to accept gay rights.
This year’s campaigning is much, much different than years past. It all kind of started in 2004, but I think it’s evolved so much that the Internet - in all its different forms - will be key to the election.
I realized this when I was writing a post on my other blog about how many different forms the Internet takes these days. It’s not just a computer thing: it’s also on cell phones, video game systems, iPods and even special watches. Candidates have to be ready to embrace what technology has to offer young voters: instant communication among friends by text messages, a need-it-now thirst for information by mobile Internet, and even just a simple and clear website for iPods and video game systems.
It’s not just the big campaigns anymore, either. Martin Heinrich, who’s running for a House of Representatives seat, has ads on all the local TV station websites and a couple of different online ad networks, yet he doesn’t have ads running on TV as far as I can tell. (Heck, I’ve seen his ad multiple times on this site. I have no direct editorial control over those ads, by the way.)
If you don’t embrace the Web in all its forms, you face a distinct disadvantage. Those who use the Web for what it can do could excite young people enough to go out to the polls and vote and tell their friends to vote. Not many young people may seem to care about politics anymore, but you just have to speak their language.
Okay, I get that each of the two Democratic candidates really, really wants to be president. But what I don’t understand is why they’re so incredibly negative towards each other. Sure, they have different opinions and views, but they’re both Democrats with wide support. But it’s not going to end well for the Democratic Party. Read More »
Here’s one way I’m a little different than most of my fellow Democrats. While I agree we probably should not have invaded that little country known as Iraq, we shouldn’t pull out quite as quickly as a lot of people are suggesting.
Yes, we’re sinking a lot of money into fighting. Yes, we’re seeing far too many soldiers come home injured or dead. But we’re far too far into things to pull out right away. Read More »
(Originally posted at TDblog)
Most people like me would argue against the Electoral College that currently runs American presidential politics, claiming it’s too complicated or doesn’t accurately represent the votes of American people. While I would agree that it is complicated and isn’t “one person, one vote,” I think it’s better than if it were an outright popular election. Read More »
(Originally posted at TDblog)
Here’s a PR person who really earned the money the Obama campaign is paying. A couple of State Department employees got a little too curious and looked inside the senator’s passport records. Read More »
