Looks like Prop 8 is going to pass in California. It’s a shame that on a historic night in American politics, the voters of one of this country’s bluest states may have decided to take a step backward for civil rights. Hate to throw out anything negative out there on a day like today, but the lack of leadership on gay marriage by leading Democratic politicians, including our President-elect and Vice President-elect, is probably one of the reason the progress has been halting at best on the issue. Alas, support for gay marriage doesn’t appear to be feasible right now for politicians with national aspirations, or at the least, no one appears brave enough to test that piece of conventional wisdom.
On the positive front, marijuana decriminalization continues to take tiny steps forward, with measures being passed in Michigan and Massachusetts. Doctor-assisted suicide law passed in Washington. A renewable energy initiative passed in Missouri (though that doesn’t take the sting out of my hometown state’s likely pick of McCain). And somewhat surprisingly, pro-life initiatives were voted down in South Dakota and Colorado.
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