Defining a Landslide Victory

The 2008 presidential election in the United States was been labeled as a 'landslide victory' and a 'mandate of the people' by many. The vote breakdown from this election for the two major candidates are as follows:

Number of Votes

Barack Obama - 67,066,915 (52.6%)
John McCain - 58,421,377 (45.9%)
Others - 1,933,645 (1.5%)

States won

Barack Obama - 28 (56%)
John McCain - 22 (44%)
Others - 0

Electoral Votes

Barack Obama - 365 (67.8%)
John McCain - 173 (32.2%)

Given that 52.6% of the vote evidently represents a 'landslide' or 'mandate' in political terms, let's use that as the barometer for measuring the voice of the people as it relates to same-gender marriages in California and the United States.

California - Proposition 8

Number of votes
Yes - 6,838,107 (52.3%)
No - 6,246,463 (47.7%)

Counties won

Yes - 42 (72.4%)
No - 16 (27.6)

In the United States the president is elected via an electoral college with 538 possible electoral votes. If California ballot initiatives were decided via an electoral college, similar to the way we elect the president of the United States, with each county given relative votes based on population with at least three votes allotted per county (as with each state in the United States) then the results would have been as follows: (analysis that of the author)

'Electoral' Votes

Yes - 418 (77.7%)
No - 120 (22.3%)

By every measure used to gauge political landslides the passage of Proposition 8 in California would appear to be mandate from the voice of the people to their elected leaders. Interestingly, the issue of same-gender marriage in the United States has been the most pervasive ballot initiative that I can find. According to the research of columnist Lee Benson of the Deseret News, of the thirty (30) states that have taken the issue to a vote of the people all thirty have passed laws or constitutional amendments defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

A 30 - 0 record is further evidence of a mandate. According to Mr. Benson's research there have been 58,911,741 votes cast on this issue in the last decade with an astounding 63.9% of the people voting to define marriage as between one man and one woman. If this were a little league baseball game the mercy rule would have been invoked two innings ago.

All this makes it reprehensible that there are two non-binding resolutions under consideration in the California state legislature (SR 8 and AR 5) to "make it official state policy to invalidate Prop 8." Apparently there are some in the legislature that, along with Governor Schwarzenegger, who have forgotten that they took an oath to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California.' (California Constitution Article 20, Sec.3)

That is why I am supporting the California Petition to Protect Marriage to be presented to every member of the legislature and the governor reminding them of their duty and obligation to represent the people who elected them to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California.' Join me in signing the petition by going to http://unitedfamiliesca.org/default.asp?contentID=244.

While you're there sign up for United Families California email alerts. It is a great way to be informed on issues that affect California families. To read the United Families California email alert on this issue click on http://unitedfamiliesca.org/default.asp?contentID=246.

Links in this post:
http://unitedfamiliesca.org/default.asp?contentID=246
http://unitedfamiliesca.org/default.asp?contentID=244
http://www.unitedfamiliesca.org
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.const/.article_20
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705267125,00.html
http://vote.sos.ca.gov/Returns/props/map190000000008.htm
http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?f=0&year=2008