Another nice thought about the ramifications of Iowa...

[orichalcum]

So far, anti-marriage equality crusaders have been able to paint the pro-marriage equality states as the "scary radical fringe" of America - Taxachusetts, San Francisco values, those wacky hippie Vermonters, etc...

But Iowans? No one looks at Iowa and thinks "coastal weirdos." They think "heartland." And furthermore - because of the silly uber-importance Iowa gets in the presidential primary system (we have Obama because of Iowa), no politician considering running for President will dare attack Iowans as immoral people.

This does mean that an anti-marriage-equality amendment may wind up on the ballot in 2012, which is probably good for the religiously conservative Republican candidates. But it's really hard to see how a unanimous verdict in _Iowa_ doesn't fundamentally change the optics of the debate.

Comments

[siercia]

And once again, you manage to say exactly what I'm thinking far better than I ever could.

This one feels important, doesn't it?

[orichalcum.livejournal.com]

Thanks - though I don't think this is the most original of thoughts, in any case. But yeah; Iowa both has political insulation and just doesn't read as deep blue.

[foldedfish.livejournal.com]

Me, I'm not sure how much this will change attitudes, since it wasn't the good heartland down-to-earth folk of Iowa that did this, but a small number of those damned activist judges.

[cerebralpaladin.livejournal.com]

Unanimity probably helps there.

I agree that a legislative decision legalizing same-sex marriage would have a bigger impact, but it probably still makes a difference in the dialogue.

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

I'm still saving my celebration for VT.

[cerebralpaladin.livejournal.com]

Sadly, it doesn't look good for this year. The Governor has said that he will veto the bill, and while it passed the legislature by a wide margin, it wasn't quite veto-proof.

[stolen-tea.livejournal.com]

:(

But I'm not really going to celebrate until this is done democratically.

[marginaleye.livejournal.com]

The Talibangelical Right has peaked as a socio-political force and is in decline (the author of the linked blog post is, himself, an evangelical Christian).