Last night, Obama got one big win.  Maine became the 31st state to ban gay marriage through a popular referendum.  That means that gay marriage has now been outlawed in every single state where it’s been put to a vote.  It’s particularly interesting in this case because, like California and Michigan before it, Maine is a solidly blue state – a Democrat stronghold with liberals galore.

All of this, of course, should make President Obama quite happy since he’s said, time and again, that he does not support the right to same sex marriage. 

So, congratulations Democrats!  Your President got his way!

- Robert Laurie

 

P.S.  Before the angry email starts rolling in, I should point out that I view gay marriage as a state’s rights issue.  There is nothing in the Constitution that gives the federal government the power to grant or deny marriage to ANYONE, gay or straight, so under the 10th Amendment, that power belongs to the states.  

Gay and want to get married?  Great, move to a state that allows gay marriage, or change the laws where you live. 

Want to outlaw straight marriage?  If you can get it passed in your state, more power to ya.  In fact, I’ve long thought that this might be the best possible way to make the pro-gay marriage point.

Until there is a federal constitutional amendment affirming the right to same sex marriage, however, the feds should have no authority in the matter.

Virginia was not unexpected.  There’s no real surprise there.  However, what is shocking, and the thing that has Democrat heads spinning this morning is their defeat in New Jersey.  Wait.  Make that: HUGE defeat.

“It’s not huge,” you’re saying, “it’s just a five percent margin.”

Well, it may just be five percent, but in a deep blue state like New Jersey, that five percent is pretty big news. 

Consider that the incumbent, Creigh Deeds, had Obama, Biden, and Bill Clinton visiting the state, campaigning for him, and delivering speeches on his behalf since August.  The President himself made no less than six appearances. 

Add to that the fact that Deeds spent nearly three times as much as his Republican rival, roughly  thirty million to McDonnell’s eleven, and that the DNC kicked in seven million of their own.  

Finally, top it all off with the knowledge that Obama sent his top pollster to run Deeds’ campaign, and that New Jersey is about as much of a blue, union controlled state as you can find.

Add it all up, and you get an election that, by all accounts, the Democrats should have won.  Their loss speaks volumes about the waning influence of President Obama, and the DNC as a whole.  Yes, there were local issues that also contributed to the loss, but you simply can’t ignore the national implications.

….unless of course, you happen to be Robert Gibbs.

- Robert Laurie

Yesterday, we talked about how the worst White House Press Secretary in history, Robert Gibbs, likes to deny even the most obvious of truths.  He spent the day telling us that, despite all the stumping, the President didn’t really care about the New England gubernatorial elections.   Then, as the results were coming in, he managed to go a step further.

“He’s not watching returns,” Gibbs said.

So Gibbs not only expects us to believe that Obama doesn’t care about the elections, but that he’s not even paying attention to the results?

If you believe that, I have some very nice settlements in the West Bank to sell you….

Here’s hoping they never fire this guy, because the daily wads of comedy that dribble out of his mouth are just too priceless.

- Robert Laurie