No Prop8 repeal in 2010

From the LA Times:

A measure to repeal Proposition 8, the anti-gay-marriage initiative, has failed to qualify for the November ballot.

John Henning, who heads a group that sponsored the repeal effort, declined to say how many signatures were gathered since the all-volunteer campaign got underway in late November.....

"There comes a point where the intake of signatures isn't rapid enough to make up your deficit," Henning said. "We started to realize last week that we weren't going to make it."

He said his group, Love Honor Cherish, will work with other activists to put a repeal measure on the November 2012 ballot.

This is not a surprise. The Big Groups--Courage Campaign, and Equality CA--long ago decided that 2012 made more sense. First, because of the need to educate the public and build bridges with other groups, including communities of faith and communities of color. Second, because turnout is better in a presidential year, especially among the young who are a key constituent of the repeal campaign. And third, economically--no one has any money left. So Love Honor Cherish was on its own, climbing uphill.

Several California polls have come out recently suggesting that support for marriage equality is now about 50%. That sounds great, except you have to remember that the polls also showed Prop8 going down in defeat. There is apparently a Bradley effect around marriage equality, as the polls routinely overstate support for marriage equality.

So I'd like to see that support a lot further north among likely voters before we go back to the polls. Meanwhile, educate, educate, educate.