Bringing Marriage Equality to Michigan

[CobaltBlue]

With today's [06.26.2013] U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down DOMA, I want my home state especially to deliver on marriage equality.

I reside in Michigan.

Here is its voting record on presidential elections (every since the Republicans first competed against the Democrats in 1856):

1856: John Fremont, R
1860: Abraham Lincoln, R, elected
1864: Abraham Lincoln, R, re-elected
1868: Ulysses Grant, R, elected
1872: Ulysses Grant, R, re-elected
1876: Rutherford Hayes, R, elected
1880: James Garfield, R, elected
1884: James Blaine, R
1888: Benjamin Harrison, R, elected
1892: Benjamin Harrison, R
1896: William McKinley, R, elected
1900: William McKinley, R, re-elected
1904: Teddy Roosevelt, R, elected
1908: William Howard Taft, R, elected
1912: Teddy Roosevelt, P
1916: Charles Evans Hughes, R
1920: Warren Harding, R, elected
1928: Warren Harding, R, re-elected
1932: Franklin Roosevelt, D, elected
1936: Franklin Roosevelt, D, re-elected
1940: Wendell Wilkie, R
1944: Franklin Roosevelt, D, re-elected
1948: Thomas Dewey, R
1952: Dwight Eisenhower, R, elected
1956: Dwight Eisenhower, R, re-elected
1960: John Kennedy, D, elected
1964: Lyndon Johnson, D, elected
1968: Hubert Humphrey, D
1972: Richard Nixon, R, elected
1976: Gerald Ford, R
1980: Ronald Reagan, R, elected
1984: Ronald Reagan, R, re-elected
1988: George Bush, R, elected
1992: Bill Clinton, D, elected
1996: Bill Clinton, D, re-elected
2000: Al Gore, D
2004: John Kerry, D
2008: Barack Obama, D, elected
2012: Barack Obama, D, re-elected

In realigning presidential period of 1860-1892, Michigan voted with the winner in seven of nine elections. From another realigning period of 1896-1928, Mich. also voted seven of nine for the winner[s]. Likewise from 1932-1964, favoring the Demorats, Mich. voted with the winner in seven of nine elections. And from 1968-2004, Mich. voted with the winner in seven of ten. (And backed the popular-vote winner of 2000.)

The state of Michigan isn't a bellwether state like Ohio, but it is a Top 10 state which is part of the national picture. Not unlike Pennsylvania, the closest companion state in terms of likeness in presidential voting. (From the listed period, they disagreed in 1856, 1932, 1940, and 1976. And with exception of 1940, those other elections were ones in which either Pa. or Mich. had a major-party nominee who didn't carry the other state.)

Point of mentioning this is I want Michigan not to be in the back of the line of the blue states (it's been historically more liberal than the b.s. about it being moderate; see 1912) which will finally allow same-sex couples to be legally married. I want the state of Michigan to get marriage equality sooner rather than later.

How should one get involved in this? Does it mean going to the state Democratic party? Should one bypass that and look to others (as if the party itself isn't that useful)?

[corkhead]

1. Gerrymandering has really screwed us over. It's going to be tough to get the Michigan legislature

to do anything progressive.

[CobaltBlue]

3. Oh, now, corkhead… !

corkhead,

Consider the game of politics.

The state Republicans fight the inevitable … and that gives the Democrats an issue to run on.

State of Michigan is not like Arkansas, to name one, which has been Democrat in Name Only. (Meaning it used to back all prevailing presidential candidates prior to Barack Obama and gave Bill Clinton his best margin in 1992, would have said "yes, yes, yes" in the general election to Hillary Clinton had she won her party's 2008 presidential nomination, and said no to Obama in both 2008 and 2012 because it was there they had their PUMAs.)

[longship]

2. Apparently it's in the works.

From the Free Press:

"Michigan House Democrats unveil gay marriage bills."

Here: http://www.freep.com/article/20130624/NEWS06/306240067/Michigan-House-Democrats-unveil-gay-marriage-bills

[CobaltBlue]

4. Thank you!

Thank you, longship!