NOM NOM PAC People

Ah, Mainers. So many have their hearts and heads in good and proper places. There's a great chance that marriage equality will be restored in the November election.

Yet, the Dark Side, epitomized by NOM, National Organization for Marriage, will likely flood the state with ads, paid out-of-state folk and more to defeat it. They've promised/threatened another $2million to again harm, hinder and hamper gay couples there.

Today's Boston Globe carries a heartening recap of the campaign. The thrust is that so far, Equality Maine's related Mainers United for Marriage has far outraised the anti-same-sex marriage forces...locally.

First, I'm glad to see that the pro-equality forces are taking back the reality. For decades, the anti-gay/anti-marriage/anti-adoption/anti-family forces with names like NOM's have pretended to be the opposite of what they are. This is no time to iterate their many lies; this blog among other media has plenty of that.

Second, I have to wonder whether NOM is willing to risk losing the money and bragging rights in the likely event that Mainers will restore marriage equality. Up there, voters have a cantankerous history of doing the most socially conservative thing, even more than once, before coming down on the human and humane side. They certainly did that with gay rights regulations.

The anti-equality crowd is like so many prom queens and princesses. They live in past, remembered glories. In this case, the overwhelming record from 2004 when states looked at civil unions, then SSM, in New England, and rushed to pass laws and amendments prohibiting equality.

Let's assume NOM openly goes after the Maine vote and loses. Sure the money will hurt at a time when fewer Americans want to spend on such nastiness and are blasé about same-sex marriage or support it. Such orgs are on the wrong end of the funnel.

More important though, pro-equality forces have public perception and experience backing them. The great gay panic of 2004 has proven to be lunacy. There's no harm and only good that comes from marriage equality. More and more homosexual couples are making themselves known, and all but the most emotionally driven types see their ordinariness as well as a devotion to marriage often lacking in different-sexed couples and spouses.

I want Maine to fulfill its heritage of basic goodness in November. I won't wish pro-equality forces having to fight extra millions in negative ads and hundreds of hired mouths on the streets. Yet, there would be a particular sweetness to the NOM forces trying hard and falling hard.