That Confusing Morality Thing: Election Day

How far to the left did America move last night?

It's a trick question. In reality, the country showed a move to the right as a strong morality vote provided a powerful undercurrent to the results, with core morality initiatives winning almost everywhere.

Here's the rundown:

• Arizona: Pro-marriage Prop 107 failed by a couple percentage points, probably because it also banned civil unions. However, a conservative issue, English as the official language, passed overwhelmingly, 75% to 25%.
• Colorado: Pro-marriage Amendment 43 passed 54/46, and Referendum I, which would have allowed civil unions, failed.
• Missouri: Stem cell research, as allowed in Amendment 2, squeaked through on a very narrow margin. Stem cell issues are probably the weakest of the "morality issues" and Michael J. Fox proved very effective ... Rush much less so.
• South Carolina: Pro-marriage Amendment 1 passed by an overwhelming margin, 75/25.
• Tennessee: An even stronger pro-marriage turnout carried Amendment 1 to victory, 81/19.
• Viginia's pro marriage Question 1 passed 57/14
• Wisconsin (Wisconsin! The state that now has the first Muslim, former Nation of Islam US Representative) passed both anti-gay marriage and a pro-death penalty amendments.
  

Those margins are very, very different than the overwhelmingly tight margins in the critical House and Senate campaigns, and they prove that this was an election about frustration with Republicans, not frustration with conservatism.

If Pelosi, Reed and the DNC leadership fail to read this and attempt to launch a liberal moral agenda with their paper-thin "mandate" on the war and no mandate on morality, the incoming Dem reps, who in most cases appear to be much more middle of the road than the Dem leadership, should (I hope!) cause them considerable heartburn.

Related Tags: Politics, Election 2006, Gay marriage, Morality