Bad Night for Marriage, But There is Hope

Three Iowa Supreme Court justices who voted for marriage equality were up for a confirmation vote yesterday.  All three lost after a fierce campaign of lies and distortions from NOM. The new Iowa governor is going to be Republican Terry Branstad who defeated incumbent Democrat Chet Culver.  That's a lot of bad news for equality in Iowa.  All is not lost, however. The Supreme Court marriage decision was unanimous. There are seven Supreme Court justices in the state, that leaves four who have voted for equality.  Plus, the out-going Democratic governor can appoint three replacements before the newly-elected Republican takes over.  Certainly, though, NOM's ugly campaign to uproot the judicial system in Iowa will take a toll and justices may be nervous about decisions that follow the law but not popular opinion.

Look for a push to put an anti-marriage Constitutional Amendment on the ballot in Iowa in 2012, just in time for the Presidential election.   

In New Hampshire, NOM is bragging that they've elected a veto proof majority of Republicans in the state legislature.  This may be true, but they'll need it to get an anti-marriage bill past re-elected Democratic Governor Lynch.  A New England Republican is not necessarily an anti-gay Republican, so ripping marriage rights away from New Hampshire citizens is not a done deal.

Box Turtle Bulletin has an interesting wrap-up of NOM's efforts across the nation last night and it's not as cheery as Brian Brown's flamboyant tweets.  Here's an excerpt:

"But no indicator seems to have been more consistent this election than the extent to which a candidate was supported by the National Organization for Marriage. If you were a Senatorial or Gubernatorial candidate whom NOM supported, it seemed to be the kiss of death."

Read it all here.

More good news out of Rhode Island.  There's an excellent chance we could achieve equality there with the election of pro-equality Lincoln Chafee as governor.  The former moderate Republican senator left the GOP and ran as an independent.  Plus, Rhode Island elected openly gay Providence Mayor David Cicilline to Congress.  The state's Congressional delegation is all Democratic.