Crossposted at Prop 8 Trial Tracker
Senator Kay Hagan, United States Senator of North Carolina, has released a video statement coming out forcefully against Amendment 1. Hagan talked about the harms to North Carolina's families, saying, “I do not believe we should amend our state’s constitution to take away people’s rights... Amendment One harms our resolve to make all people and all families great.” Noting that the focus needs to be on jobs and the economy, she talked about how voters resent seeing their jobs and livelihoods fall victim to these kinds of partisan distractions. And she says the amendment will harm business and job prospects in North Carolina, “We have seen and heard from business leaders from across North Carolina who are worried about our ability to compete with states that are not passing such divisive amendments... In this competitive environment we simply cannot afford to pass Amendment One.”
The news this week for the opposition to the anti-gay Amendment 1 in North Carolina which would make opposite-sex marriage the "only domestic legal union" in the state has been incredibly encouraging. The campaign released its two ads Monday morning, pointing out the unintended consequences the amendment would have on North Carolinians, gay and straight alike. The ads focused on the fact that the amendment could cause families with unmarried parents to lose health insurance for their children, and it could affect domestic violence protections in the state.
Yesterday morning, a new poll showed a six point shift toward opposition of the amendment. It showed that the number of undecided voters is growing, and all the major constituencies are turning toward the opposition. Democrats were evenly split last month, and now they are opposed. African American voters have shifted about ten points from a month ago. Even the youth vote, already strongly opposed to the amendment, is even more opposed. The poll was picked up by media and bloggers and reported on extensively.
Then, yesterday afternoon, the pro-Amendment 1 campaign released its ad. If you like misrepresentations of the Bible as well as the history of North Carolina and marriage and the amendment itself, the ad is perfect. The ad touched on all the well-worn themes the religious right has used against gays for many decades. It's hard to see how it will excite anyone.
And now today a sitting United States Senator has made a strong statement against this odious and regressive amendment. Early voting is going on now and the election is two weeks away on May 8. The momentum appears to be going one way at this point. Support and enthusiasm for the amendment appears to be starting to collapse. Yesterday's poll said that while it isn't a sure thing at this point, "There is some reason to think a huge upset in two weeks is within the realm of possibility."
What you can do to help defeat Amendment One: