Oh, those sweet sad dummies at NOM are breaking our hearts. They really think they still have a shot at winning, the poor things.
Even after losing pretty much every single fight since 2012, they’re still thumping their chests and making bold declarations like victory is right around the corner. Any day now.
The latest windmill-tilting comes in Pennsylvania, where marriage equality it now the law of the land. Period. It’s final. Not going away. But for some reason NOM has decided that they still have a chance to overturn the ruling and take marriage away.
Just in case you’re worried, let us reassure you: they won’t be successful. NOM can go ahead with their latest project, which they say is “evaluating whether it could intervene in this case on behalf of its Pennsylvania members.” But it won’t go anywhere.
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In fact, it’s a little crazy that they would chose this, of all projects, to announce. It’s doomed to fail, so why bother making noise about it at this point? It’s just going to be one more losing battle that we can point to and laugh.
According to a NOM press release, they think they can halt the PA marriages because the Supreme Court halted marriages after a victory in Utah. But that’s crazy: the Utah case had a pending appeal, and Pennsylvania doesn’t. The case is over. This attempt to intervene after the final judgment is even more insane than their attempt in Oregon, just two days before oral argument.
Not to mention, even if they were able to intervene, then what? They would present the same arguments that have lost in over a dozen cases in different states over the last year? Okay, good luck with that.
The National Organization for Marriage is at a fascinating crossroads here. They can either continue down the path that they’re on until they cease to exist in a year or so because they have lost every battle they’ve picked, and can’t raise any money or even show why they’re necessary.
Or they can do what failing companies do, and attempt a last-ditch pivot to a new strategy. They might start supporting efforts to counsel couples to have stronger marriages. Or they might start pouring resources into programs to avert teen pregnancy. Or they could even start a dating service. Who knows? With a name like “The National Organization for Marriage,” there are a lot of great things that they could do. Aside from, you know, trying to prevent people from marrying.
Cam
But they can’t try to raise money if they don’t pretend they are fighting for something.
Shanestud
75% of NOM’s funding comes from 14 big cash donors who have been assured by Brian that their names would never be divulged. The latest decision from Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices which handed them a $50K fine also includes a requirement that they disclosed the names of all their contributors. If those names come out watch for some high profile, embarrassed people to head for the hills…fast. Brian with his $500,000 annual salary plus expenses and endless expensive courts challenges require millions of dollars a year to operate. If and when the money goes so will Brian and NOM.
Meowzer
As a gay, now legally recognized, couple in PA, they’ll undo marriage equality over our dead bodies!
tricky ricky
he should be concentrating on Oregon. for some reason nate silver’s site still gives a chance of the ruling being appealed and weddings stopped.
IcarusD
@Cam: Ding, ding, ding, ding! That’s exactly right. This isn’t about actually accomplishing a damn thing. Whether their efforts are achievable is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is whether they can raise money off of whining about it. In fact, the less achievable it is, the better, because then they don’t actually have to try to accomplish something with the money they raise.
The Professor
What I would like to see is a final, fantastic Perp Walk – starring Brian Brown and Maggie Gallagher – for abuse of election funds (Maine), and all other various money games they have played over the years. Well, in their case made not exactly a perp walk. Maybe a perp waddle.
Mezaien
@Meowzer: That is what Christianity is all about!. Remember thing call “inquisition?” yes Christianity IS a mental illness.