The Commonwealth Coalition of Virginia, organized to oppose the anti-same-sex-marriage/plus state constitutional amendment on the ballot this November, has released its first video ad (web-only, for the time being). Rick Sincere has posted it (via YouTube) on his blog.
Looks like a strong, professional effort that rightly makes the point that an assault against the civil liberties of one group can spill over to others (watch out, unmarried heteros!).
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Thanks to Stephen, to Rick, and to the Commonwealth Coalition! The ad correctly points out what will kill the amendment: voters giving it an attentive reading.
This ad is another in a long line of shameful, “let’s change the subject” ads that we’ve seen since Californians voted for Prop 22 in 2000. In that election, gay leaders burned through $3 million telling people that the proposed law was “unfair, divisive and intrusive,” and nothing more. They lost.
The electorate sees right through these type of campaigns, they inspire nobody, and they educate no one on the importance of providing social support for same-sex relationships. They don’t work, and we keep on trying them in state after state.
Listen to the ad itself: it say the ballot measure “goes way too far,” as if softening the bill a bit would make it just fine! The listener is left with plenty of room to still hate lesbian and gay people and their relationships. We keep selling our souls for these short-term hoped for gains and we end up getting nowhere, year after year.
Thomas, to ask voters to read an amendment before they pass it is hardly changing the subject. And this amendment really does threaten the basic contractual rights of unmarried individuals.
I’m not a huge fan of the ad, but it might reach a few voters on the fence.
Listen to the ad itself: it say the ballot measure “goes way too far,” as if softening the bill a bit would make it just fine! The listener is left with plenty of room to still hate lesbian and gay people and their relationships.
The problem is, Thomas, that the Democrats aren’t going to be part of a coalition which refers to anti-gay stuff as out-and-out bigotry because many of them support anti-gay laws as well. So if you want to build a “coalition” with them against anti-gay laws, you cannot be “too pro-gay.”
That’s the Faustian bargain which was made when leaders of the largest gay groups decided to transform the gay rights movement from a civil rights movement to a political lobbying arm of the Democratic Party.
Thomas Henning personifies the naive activists who think one can fight a 20k-year cultural war in a six-month election cycle. The point of this campaign is to defeat this particular amendment, not convince the average voter of the merits of same-sex marriage or virtues of sodomy. Stick to the subject at hand.