Comments on: Maine’s Fear-Mongering Echo Chamber

By: Jim Burroway

Jim Burroway — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:38:12 +0000

This is not an official ad for television. Someone put it together to show how virtually identical the two commercials are, but it will not go on television. Just YouTube.

By: ----

---- — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:55:30 +0000

I hope this isn’t an official ad.

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:25:46 +0000

I’m with Dan, I think this is a terrible ad, it’ll likely backfire.

By: Dan L

Dan L — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:04:46 +0000

This ad strikes me as completely ineffective. Not only does it repeat the opponents’ charge about teaching gay marriage in schools (itself violating one of the cardinal rules of politics), it does nothing to rebut it. And in trying to point out the irrational fear these ads are trying to invoke, it manages to come across as pretty darn scary in and of itself. Nor do I think it necessarily would be clear to a voter why ads about teaching gay marriage in schools in California have anything to do with Maine’s debate–if it doesn’t confuse them, they may even see it as sensible to follow California’s lead.

This ad has little upside and lot of potential downside, and is likely to backfire. I really hope funds aren’t being used to air this ad on Maine television.

By: Christopher Waldrop

Christopher Waldrop — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:50:20 +0000

The Right isn’t “making it about the public’s children”, they’re using a false claim about children as an easy scare tactic. I’m sorry to be nitpicky, KZ, especially since that’s probably what you meant, but I think we should always be clear. It says a lot about opponents of same-sex marriage that they’re unable to make an honest argument.

And, yes, it worked in California, but one of the advantages of history is we can learn from it.

By: KZ

KZ — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:48:36 +0000

Well, if it worked in California, it could very well work in Maine.

Gays want to be married, and the Right has to make it about the public’s children. I can’t decide which is more ridiculous, the strategy or the fact that could work in the Right’s favor.

By: Burr

Burr — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:27:48 +0000

They should air this, or something similar.

I mean cmon.. can you say ASTROTURF?

Just a bunch of copy and pasting.

Another thought, along the lines of adding all those unnecessary religious assurances, should the next attempts at marriage equality legislation include an explicit ban on teaching it in schools, just to neuter these stupid arguments?

By: AJD

AJD — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:24:57 +0000

What I want to know is, what’s being done to challenge this?