Yet more Proposition 8 postmortems, or, who really is the bad guy (gay)?

The newest postmortems on the No On Prop 8 campaign declare that it wasn't the bad guys who done us in, it was us! If only different queers had run the campaigns, all would have been perfect.

Rolling Stone writes:

According to veteran political observers, the No on Prop 8 effort was slow to raise money, ran weak and confusing ads, and failed to put together a grass-roots operation to get out the vote. "This was political malpractice," says a Democratic consultant who operates at the highest level of California politics.

One of the replies on Rolling Stone's comments page is supposedly from No on 8 leader, Kate Kendall:

When (writer Tim) Dickinson called to interview me about the No on Prop 8 campaign it became obvious he wasn't interested in the facts about the campaign, he wanted only information that supported this hit piece. When he didn't like my answers, he just asked more leading questions. We lost. Yes, as in any campaign, mistakes were made, but to quote from unnamed sources and anonymous gay leaders running for cover in the wake of this devastating loss while ignoring all facts that don't support your assasination attempt against those who worked tirelessly for months is not jouralism, it's just trash. Dickinson should ply his "blaming the victim" tactics with the National Enquirer.

Towleroad IDs this person as Kendall.

My take on the Rolling Stone story: I think it is thinly sourced with too many anonymous quotes. On the other hand, it probably does get to the heart of the problems of the No On Prop 8 campaign. On the third hand, I believe it's far fetched to declare that if not for our own mistakes Prop 8 would have been a bed of roses for same-sex marriages.

This was a tough fight. It IS a tough fight. Despite the early poll showing Prop 8 to be way behind, I never thought we were a slam dunk to win. Honestly, I think it's a bit naive to think that any pro-gay position in any state is ever a slam dunk. What that means is that we do have to be politically smarter and much more organized than our opposition. That's why I think these postmortems are important, as long as we don't end up demonizing our own leaders.

Other interesting reports, include the very capable Karen Oncamb's special INmagazine investigation and The Petrlis Files close look at how No On Prop 8 spent its money.

Sheldon Rampton also gets up close and personal with Mormon homophobia.

As always, Towleroad provides the best roundup of Prop 8 coverage. (I am borrowing links from him shamelessly.)

A Dose of Reality: Mormons get a lesson about politics

I've been working up a response to the absurd statement from leaders of the Mormon Church, complaining about the marriage equality protests that are sweeping the nation. In a truly Orwellian move, Mormon leaders claimed they have been victimized by the fallout from Proposition 8. What a joke!

While I was struggling with my post, Kevin Drum, bless him, came up with a post saying exactly what I wanted to say. The emphasis is mine.

I'm afraid the church elders have it exactly backward here. Churches have every right to involve themselves in political issues, but if they do then they're going to be treated as political actors. Protests, boycotts, op-eds, blog posts, and marches are exactly the democratic ideals of our nation, and being on the receiving end of them is what happens to anyone who enters the political fray. It's a little late for them to pretend they didn't know this.

People should not be persecuted for their religious beliefs, and I condemn any gay-rights supporter who does that. But I refuse to let people take my rights away and then claim that I can't fight back. Give me a break!

In case you're wondering why anyone would be miffed at the LDS, take a look at this weekend's New York Times: Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage.

"A Holy God" won't tolerate marriage equality

In another good review of the marriage battle in California, Karen Ocamb provides this perspective from the far right.

"Thirty-five years of an American abortion holocaust, the civil imposition of homosexual 'marriage' upon America and the indoctrination of America's public school children in pro-homosexual ideology are practices that a Holy God will not tolerate," FRC's National Prayer Director Rev. Pierre Bynum said in an e-mail.

Ocamb reports that the Mormon Church has contributed more than $9 million to Proposition 8.