California passes gay-marriage ban

When I left California last summer to move to Wyoming, my first thought on Proposition 8 — the then-proposed ban on gay marriage — was: No way that's going to pass. Well, folks, it did, according to the L.A. Times (other news outfits, including the Washington Times, withheld a declaration due to pending ballots, but the measure clearly held an edge). It seems the electorate, even in wacky California (my birthplace, so I can say that), weren't fully embracing a liberal mandate Tuesday night. The fact that the California Supreme Judicial Court basically spit in the eye of voters there and overruled their stance on marriage probably didn't help opponents of the constitutional amendment. When courts start passing laws, it tends to galvanize voters.
As for the Obama victory, although I have minimized the significance of issues in this general election, there's no denying the historic nature of his win. Congratulations go to the candidate and his supporters.