Like many others I ‘m disappointed in the passage of Question 1 that repeals a recent law allowing same-sex marriage.
Unlike may others, however, I’m not all that surprised. I was involved in Maine politics for the past few years and can attest that there are really two Maines.
Many outside the state — and even some inside the state — view it as progressive state with a reputation for bucking the status quo. The reality, however, is very different.
The southern cost of Maine meets that criteria — specifically Cumberland County which hosts Portland, the largest and most urban city in Maine. Ditto for the central coast with its classic coastal enclaves.
Outside of those areas, however, are the “real” Maine: a working-class, rough-and-tumble, socially conservative region that opposes abortion and favors gun rights. Many of these areas are predominantly Catholic and provide fertile soil for gay rights opponents. Only in recent years has the complexion of these areas begun to change as people from Massachusetts and points farther have moved into the area.
Matthew Gagnon at Pine Tree Politics has an interesting analysis of the vote. He finds that the No on 1 vote did not capitalize on the “Maine middle” — those suburban areas in Southern Maine that could have swung the vote the opposite direction. His argument is that the suburban and urban areas needed to come in more strongly in opposition to Question 1 than the rural areas where support was very strong.
In many cases the reliance on a strong vote from Southern Maine is relied upon to offset the vote of the rest of the state. In this case, that strategy didn’t work.
Another interesting point of analysis put forward by Professor Amy Fried at the University of Maine shows that the vote against Question 1 was 4% less in Portland than the support for the 2005 Question 1 regarding non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. It could be that gay marriage was a bridge too far for the Maine Middle.
