Obviously we are very disappointed in losing four tough election battles by narrow margins. We knew long ago that we faced a difficult political landscape with the four marriage battles occurring in four of the deepest-blue states in America. As our opponents built a huge financial advantage, the odds became even steeper. We ran strong campaigns and nearly prevailed in a very difficult environment, significantly out-performing the GOP ticket in every state.
“Despite the fact that NOM was able to contribute a record amount to the campaigns (over $5.5 million), we were still heavily outspent, by a margin of at least four-to-one. We were fighting the entirety of the political establishment in most of the states, including sitting governors in three of the states who campaigned heavily for gay marriage. Our opponents and some in the media will attempt to portray the election results as a changing point in how Americans view gay marriage, but that is not the case. Americans remain strongly in favor of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The election results reflect the political and funding advantages our opponents enjoyed in these very liberal states.
“Though we are disappointed over these losses, we remain faithful to our mission and committed to the cause of preserving marriage as God designed it. Marriage is a true and just cause, and we will never abandon the field of battle just because we experienced a setback. There is much work to do, and we begin that process now.”
— National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown‘s official statement after getting their asses handed to them many, many, many times over.
Charles
And here comes the denial…
doug105
They make good money doing this why would they ever stop.
Dakotahgeo
Money is the only driving force for NOM. What sour grapes thinking! With an attitude like theirs, their losses are going to continue in every election and the demise of their goals and organization is going to be delicious! They made no difference in this election and it really is downhill for the marriage victories we’re experienced and many more states to come. Thank you, Lord!
Dakotahgeo, M.Div. Pastor/Chaplain
rand503
Their bubble popped. They believed their own PR that no state has ever voted for gay marriage in a ballot initiative. Now they can’t say that anymore, and now they realize that they truly have to fight to win. But they can’t — it’s too late for them.
I look forward to the next ten years as we get all the states to put up vote initiatives to reverse their state amendments banning gay marriage. And this time, we will do it get them on the ballot in an effort to bring out the liberal and youth votes for our candidates — we will turn the tables on Karl Rove and I will love it.
alexoloughlin
4 huge defeats are going to make their major donors think twice. The millions of dollars NOM has spent on hate is going nowhere for them. Why would a wealthy person or corporation want to keep on funding a losing proposition which doesn’t even yield any positive result for them? If anything, the success of the three referenda in our favor is going to embolden more states to follow suit, not that I think rights should be put to mob rule to decide an issue such as this. The enemies of marriage equality have now seen that their own referenda have backfired on them and there’s nothing more they can do about it. It’s over, done, get over it.
Gov. Christie also called for one when he vetoed marriage equality legislation. He’d better be careful what he wishes for. NJ could well go the same way as the three states did on election day.
Guillermo3
Let’s be FAIR,folks!!Brian Brown of DOM and Tony Perkins of the FRC
should have the right to marry each other,preferably in
a ceremony conducted by the Rev. Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist!
Alan
It’s interesting. These people who made their money putting civil rights up to a popular vote, are now lamenting the fact that they put civil rights up to a vote and lost! Isn’t it great that when the monster that these people single-handedly created comes back to bite them in the ass?!
Guillermo3
@Alan: Yes,Alan,Delightful!
gaym50ish
When NOM and Mormon supporters spent $30 million to pass Proposition 8, they insisted it wasn’t the money that made the difference. This time they were outspent, and now they’re wailing that it WAS the money that made the difference.
Most people who solicit money by telling lies are called swindlers. So, because of the deceptive claims they make, even just to raise money, it seems to me that people who donated to NOM for these campaigns are victims of their deception as much as gay couples are. In a mailing piece soliciting contributions, NOM claimed that the Navy required chaplains to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies and had backed down only when Congressman Todd Akin (of “legitimate rape” infamy) led a move to have the Navy guidelines rescinded. It was a total fabrication, and no chaplain was ever required to do anything related to same-sex marriages.
New Jersey may be next to have a voter referendum on the marriage bill that Gov. Christie vetoed. I think it’s significant that the last time that process was used in New Jersey was in 1915, when the all-male electorate voted to deny voting rights to women. Could there be any better illustration of why civil-rights issues should not be put to a popular vote?