Election night will be fascinating, not just because of the Obama vs McCain race, but for a number of ballot initiatives around the country. In California, a reliable blue state, voters will decide the fate of Proposition 8, which, if passed, would overturn the state Supreme Court’s ruling that allows same-sex marriage.
American University Law Professor Darren Hutchinson, who describes himself as “far to the left of most Americans, including most Democrats,” writes in his blog that Democrats who are celebrating the defeat of conservatism are misguided (emphasis is mine):
The contentious California battle over same-sex marriage also demonstrates that, despite their renewed electoral power, Democrats remain divided over many issues. Although the potential for a Democratic sweep has caused many liberal commentators to opine about the “death” of social conservatism, California proves that their exuberance is misguided. Obama, like Democrats before him, will win California by a very large margin. Although U.S. culture often exaggerates the extent of California’s liberalism, the state, by and large, is blue territory. And while Californians in the past have voted to prohibit affirmative action and bilingual education, it has been somewhat more progressive on issues of sexual orientation. The closeness of the polls on Proposition 8 suggest that Democrats, even in one of the bluer states, remain split over social issues.
If Californians reject same-sex marriage, this could indicate that voters there and in other parts of the country do not support issues they perceive as too liberal. Thus, the fight over Proposition 8 validates the concerns of some Democrats (myself included — see this and this) who disagree with the idea that the party’s electoral success proves that the country has shifted dramatically to the left and that social conservatism has become a relic of the past. Instead, Democrats have benefited from the ineptness of the Bush administration, the crisis in the economy (which is not completely the fault of Bush), and McCain’s poorly run campaign.
By the way, I highly recommend Professor Hutchinson’s blog. It is an even-handed, reasoned discourse on policy and politics from the progressive viewpoint. Rather than spending time on left-leaning sites and blogs that simply rant, do yourself a favor and frequent this blog for a good window on how liberals view issues of the day.