November 7th, 2012
Nope. Nothing historic to see here:
Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), released the following statement today:
“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.”
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PhilDC
November 7th, 2012
They keep whining about their financial disadvantage, but the reason the pro-equality side had more money was because they had more supporters donating. This is only slightly less ridiculous then complaining you only lost because you were short of votes.
Ben In Oakland
November 7th, 2012
Phil, I think that’s why they did lose.
Meanwhile, missy said this; “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.â€
Translation: do I still have a job?
PhilDC
November 7th, 2012
Translation: do I still have a job?
Ha I think you hit the nail on the head!
JohnAGJ
November 7th, 2012
Ah good. Brian has chosen to live in a state of denial. The shcandefreude over this is just all that more delicious!
Snowman
November 7th, 2012
Maybe Brian and Maggie can go sell shoes next?
Secret Advocate
November 7th, 2012
Start polishing your resumé, Brian. Your organization is going the way of the White Citizens’ Councils.
Cooner
November 7th, 2012
Poor NOM. They and their friends just lost their use of the “argument” that gay marriage has always lost in any popular vote.
Four states, a fifth state retaining their judge, and a pro-marriage-equality President re-elected? They’ve lost it big time!
Bose in St. Peter MN
November 7th, 2012
Brown’s likely plea to his funders: Please don’t leave me! I pitched NOM to you as a consistent winner and a good investment, so you might be questioning that now, but really, NOM is still great. NOM is worth funding! NOM will keep fighting for secrecy (oops, I didn’t mean to allude to NOM losing on the secrecy front, also)!
Funders’ likely response to Brown: Yeah, well, let’s talk about this. It’s one thing to have our reputation take a beating in public, as well as inside our congregations, when we win in the end. Time and money is well spent holding the high moral ground. But you’ve got to understand: We’re not in this to add million-dollar line items to the budget for decades, we expect you to be the force that wins this issue and puts it to bed.
Brown: No, no, no, don’t get scared now. Even when we lose, we’ve got this whole crazy defamation approach that will convince the public to be scared and auto-divorce every same-sex couple via a federal amendment after President Santorum’s inauguration in 2016. We’ve just got to keep up the funding… oops, I mean support… in the meantime. In fact, once we’re working on ratifying the amendment in every state, NOM’s budget will need to explode. Throw some seed money NOM’s way, and we’ll start today!
Funders: Dude, at first it was cute that you were a little demented, and tolerable (if uncomfortable) while you were winning. But, as much as we share your supposedly gay-loving anti-gayness, we love our money (or at least creating the appearance that we’re not wasting it) more than we we’re loving you or NOM. Have a good life, though. It’s been a crazy ride!
Brown (mumbling to self): OK, time to line up those anti-gay consulting gigs… oops, I mean missionary trips… to Africa and any other continent that will have me.
Regan DuCasse
November 7th, 2012
@Ben In Oakland…BANG!
Tell it, brother!
I don’t think our side actually out funded NOM. I think it was more a matter of more efficient use of less.
And there is only so much defamatory ads can do.
There is a reality of legal marriage in several states already, and whole countries that have similar political systems, standards of living and Westernized cultural mores.
These have been in effect in at least a decade.
To keep saying ‘just wait, give it time’ to see when marriage equality will prove a detriment, is a luxury NOBODY has.
Especially because so much hard earned money is going to NOM’s campaigns by such multi millions.
Even after the Justices in IA were unseated, marriage equality went on.
Here in CA, although everything changed for gay people.
It DIDN’T for straight people.
There’s no discernible, or effective difference in how marriage is defended or that there was any tangible purpose to having 8 in place.
What’s really happening is, there may be some serious battle fatigue and folks finally getting it that they are tilting at windmills and wasting their energy and money.
And in these hard times, it hasn’t been worth it just to keep Brian Brown and Maggie G in paychecks.
Timothy Kincaid
November 7th, 2012
Yes. I believe every word of that. It’s what we said in 2008. Marriage is a true and just cause and that is why we are fighting (and winning) for it.
Timothy Kincaid
November 7th, 2012
Bose,
One problem with your scenario. When your funder is the Catholic Church, you don’t have to appeal to their continued good will. You just cash the check.
NOM will be here for as long as the Vatican wants to fight over marriage in this country. And I suspect that will be for a while to come.
Secret Advocate
November 7th, 2012
@Bose in Saint Peter MN:
Great post.
There is one point on which I think everyone, on all sides of this issue, will agree: The NOM does not make any refunds.
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