Pro-gay marriage camp may have won the political ads wars

I just spent some time watching the commercials that are hogging the airwaves, and guess what? It's the advocates of gay marriage, those who want to leave the current law firmly in place, who are the media maestros. And it's the conservatives who haven't found their messaging groove.


The media debate centers around this stark ballot language: "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?"

With California voters having rejected the right of gay couples to legally marry last year, the national focus has shifted to Maine -- a state that while not known for pushing the progressive envelope, has a fiery streak of independence. Based on earlier legislative approval, Maine had originally planned to permit same-sex marriage this past September. But officials decided to hold off pending the results of this referendum. And since Maine is the only state voting on the issue this November, it's the New England equivalent of relentless Sunni vs. Shia combat. Local TV stations are making a mint, and special interest groups are keeping the state's hotel industry booming.