Election Day 2011: Liberals Victorious as ‘Personhood’ Initiative, Collective Bargaining Measure Are Defeated
Email
- Max Whittaker/Getty Images
Democrats scored major victories in today’s election as two controversial GOP-backed measures — the “personhood” initiative in Mississippi and changes to collective bargaining rights by unions in Ohio — were defeated by voters.
Today’s results signal that voters are more focused on issues that impact their daily lives rather than ideological battles.
“Voters don’t seem particularly interested in ideological battles that have little impact on their core concerns about fixing the economy and creating jobs,” said ABC News’ Political Director Amy Walter. “Democrats will also argue that talk of anemic support from their base, especially in the key battleground state of Ohio, has been overstated.”
The “personhood” measure in Mississippi was an ambiguously worded citizen-led initiative that defined human life as starting at “the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.”
The measure would’ve restricted certain birth control methods and in vitro fertilization treatment, and would’ve banned all abortion. It was expected to win but opposition against it built up as the measure gained national attention.
Abortion rights activists charged that the initiative is the biggest assault on women’s rights to date. They hailed the defeat of the initiative as a victory for women and their constitutional rights.
Keith Mason, the founder of Personhood USA, the group behind the initiative, said he will continue to advocate for it despite its defeat.
Anti-abortionists had been mixed on the issue. Outgoing Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour voted for the initiative but he said he struggled with that decision and had “had “some concerns about it.” Most anti-abortionists believe that human life begins at conception and support allowing it in the case of rape, incest and if the mother’s life is in danger. Initiative 26 took the definition much farther, and some conservative groups were concerned that, if it was taken up by the Supreme Court, it would’ve hampered their ability to overturn Roe v. Wade by shifting the discussion.
Similar initiatives by Parenthood USA, which is behind Initiative 26, have been unsuccessful. The measure was voted down twice in Colorado, in 2008 and 2010.
Most conservatives in the state legislature supported the measure, including gubernatorial candidate Phil Bryant who won the election today.
Liberals appeared to be unsuccessful in their efforts to defeat a ballot measure in Mississippi that would require people to submit government-sponsored photo ID before being allowed to vote. The measure was backed by Republicans who said it will stop election fraud. Democrats, however, had blasted the initiative, saying it will reduce voter turnout and discourage people of color from coming to the polls.
Ohio Voters Defeat Collective Bargaining Amendment:
Labor groups won a surprising victory in Ohio, and defeated a ballot measure that attempted to cut back collective bargaining rights for union workers and would have affected hundreds of thousands of public employees.
Labor unions and the White House were closely monitoring the measure, which could signal how much influence unions have in the 2012 election.
Issue 2 would’ve eliminate public employees’ right to collectively bargain for health insurance and pensions, bar them from striking – workers would’ve paid a price from their paycheck if they do so – and curbed promotions based on seniority. It would’ve also increased health care costs for workers. Employees would have had to pay at least 15 percent of their health care premiums and allocate 10 percent of their salary for pensions. It went one step farther than the controversial Wisconsin measure — which was the first to curb rights for union workers — by including police and firefighters.
The public fight between union workers and Republicans led to millions of dollars being poured into the state.
Republicans, including Gov. John Kasich, said such cuts are needed to balance the budget. The state is facing an $8 billion budget deficit. But opponents blasted the measure as a “vast right-wing conspiracy” and said it unfairly targets state workers who are already paying high premiums for health insurance and that targeting police and firefighters would hamper their ability to serve citizens.
AFL-CIO’s President Richard Trumka hailed the defeat of Issue 2 tonight.
“Ohio sent a message to every politician out there: Go in and make war on your employees rather than make jobs with your employees, and you do so at your own peril,” he said.
The Ohio ballot measure is indirectly a huge test for President Obama. His campaign is closely watching efforts there — particularly turnout by labor members — to gauge how active they may be next year, and whether they’ll have a shot in a state that has swung to the right since 2008.
Voting Rights:
As Mississippi passed a new law that would require voters to submit their ID, voters in Maine overwhelmingly voted against a ballot initiative — Question 1 — that would’ve required new voters to register to vote at least two business days prior to an election. Under current law, voters can register on voting day. Liberals had blasted the measure as an infringement on voters’ rights.
State Budgets:
As states struggle with budget shortfalls, several considered proposals to raise their cash flow. From Louisiana to Washington, budget measures headlined the ballots.
Several amendments that would direct more funds to the state passed in Louisiana last week.
But even as states are pressured by the economic downturn, tax increases remained unpopular. In Colorado, attempts to raise the sales and income taxes to help public schools failed last week.
Gubernatorial Races:
The balance of power between the two parties will stay the same, as expected.
In Mississippi, Republicans kept the gubernatorial seat. Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant defeated Johnny DuPree, mayor of Hattiesburg. DuPree had focused on jobs and education in his campaign. But Bryant’s anti-Washington, anti-taxation message appeared to be more appealing to voters. Unlike other races, the gubernatorial race in Mississippi was devoid of negative attacks, a move that Bryant said will set the tone for other states.
Barbour, Mississippi’s current governor, was barred from running again under the state’s term limit laws.
Meanwhile, Democrats kept the governor’s seat in Kentucky, where incumbent Steve Beshear was vying for a second term. Beshear and rival David Williams had attacked each other on a wide array of issues, including education and job creation. In a state where President Obama’s popularity has plunged, Beshear’s win is a boon to Democrats, who lost multiple states to Republicans last year and, in Kentucky, lost to unconventional candidates such as Rand Paul, who won a Senate seat in 2010.
Democrats scored another victory in West Virginia last month, where Earl Ray Tomblin narrowly won the special election to replace Joe Manchin, who is now a U.S. senator.
But Republicans have kept the scorecard tied. Gov. Bobby Jindal won a second term last month by a landslide.
Best Commencement Speeches of 2012 
Joe Biden Recalls Death of Wife, Daughter
The vote in Ohio is going to tell us a lot today. Check back tonight and find out how it went. Either way that should be the talk of tomorrow. Are people really going to
continue paying higher taxes for public employees can have all those great pensions.
Ohio will answer that .
Posted by: deadwrestler | November 8, 2011, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
Several things about pensions: 1) If PUBLIC employees are denied the right to do collective bargaining or have their paychecks reduced, then that standard should be applied to PRIVATE employees as well. To do any less is called discrimination on the basis of whether or not an employee works in the public or the private sector. 2) The pensions are not that great unless one considers the fact that public employees make much less than their skills would command in the private marketplace, in exchange for health benefits and pensions (in other words, that is part of the compensation). If that is taken away, the taxpayers will have to pay them what their skills are worth or lose them to the private sector. 3) If they do not lose them to the private sector and they stay because of the working hours, the taxpayers will get what they pay for in terms of customer service.
Posted by: savethemiddleclass | November 8, 2011, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
“Liberals Victorious”
How about AMERICANS VICTORIOUS!!!
Posted by: Max | November 9, 2011, 12:14 am 12:14 am
Ending the life of an unborn baby is between a woman and her doctor. Leave morality out of it.
Posted by: Benjamin | November 9, 2011, 12:39 am 12:39 am
United we stand, divided we fall! If the left and the right do not learn how to meet in the middle, then divided we will fall!
Posted by: Greg | November 9, 2011, 1:38 am 1:38 am
This wasn’t about Unions, this was about hurting the Democratic party in order for the GOP to continue to pillage this country. People see it for what it is and tonight they gave their response. The GOP have a mindset that this country is theirs and it’s their way or else. The problem is there are 150 million Americans who will never agree to that.
Posted by: D | November 9, 2011, 2:12 am 2:12 am
The only time I consider abortion wrong is when the fetus could survive outside of the womb with little more than standard nutritional support. Prior to that, a fetus is nothing more than a parasitic growth in a woman with some chance of developing into yet another human… something which we need to start controlling as our resources become increasingly strained. Adoption is a horrid option! Far worse than preventing another tortured soul from coming into existence!
Posted by: looncraz | November 9, 2011, 2:20 am 2:20 am
I hear these stories about overpaid government workers.
I hear these stories about government workers making less than 9 dollars an hour. I wonder in what twisted republican tea pot dream 9 dollars an hour is far too much to pay an american. I know about other countries. I’m asking about americans. I wonder about the twisted tea pots that think the big wheels should be able to cut that meager wage down to 8, 7, 6, 2$, .50 cents an hour so they can have a few million dollars more in their pocket and a gold plated toilet seat. Those wall street people don’t create jobs. They steal money by gaming the unregulated system.
They create nothing!
And far too many of their supporters apparently dream of cutting cane in the jungle.
Which is certainly more honorable and worthy of respect than those conniving, thieving cream skimmers at the top.
But it doesn’t pay a living wage.
It could, I suppose.
But someone might have to give up their gold plated toilet seat.
And a sense of decency doesn’t seem to be an inherent human trait.
Posted by: mike | November 9, 2011, 2:27 am 2:27 am
This is what democracy looks like! The Middle Class united against the rich and powerful! Our Constitution works!
Posted by: ericalove | November 9, 2011, 6:18 am 6:18 am
A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 9, 2011, 7:26 am 7:26 am
The headline would be more accurate to say; The American People are Victorious as ‘Personhood’ Initiative, Collective Bargaining !!!
Posted by: dan | November 9, 2011, 7:29 am 7:29 am
Repubs were victorious in Virginia in taking back the majority in a key battle ground state that Obama is eyeballing very closely, but you don’t see that headline anywhere on the liberal outlets. Take about liberal bias and shotty journalism.
Posted by: Gunner_1959 | November 9, 2011, 7:40 am 7:40 am
Yes, Forget the liberals, common sense won yesterday. I am constantly amazed at how a party that swears up and down and on their bibles that they want no interference from government in their private lives, continually tries to interfer in my bedroom and my womb.
Let me understand this, if the government tries to regulate the financial sector all hell will break loose but its totally ok for the same government to regulate between my legs.
Posted by: eliza | November 9, 2011, 7:53 am 7:53 am
The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 9, 2011, 8:02 am 8:02 am
Dan: You said it right. This “personhood”initiative was the most stupid thing that I have EVER read and I am no spring chicken. And since when did a government employee lose all of his/her rights as an American citizen? Why not limit the rights of private sector employees to do collective bargaining? This thing was outright discrimination on the face of it.
Posted by: savethemiddleclass | November 9, 2011, 8:22 am 8:22 am
I’d have to agree with Mike’s post about “overpaid” government workers. I am a government worker, and I am not even close to being overpaid. I haven’t had a raise in three years because we are at the mercy of a budget. I’m not even a homeowner…not because I don’t want to be but because my salary won’t allow it. So anyone who thinks government workers are overpaid, go back and re-read my post.
Posted by: mijoje1 | November 9, 2011, 8:26 am 8:26 am
They need to regulate between your legs because so many cannot. Thats why we have so many babies in need of welfare!
Posted by: Vinny | November 9, 2011, 8:33 am 8:33 am
Anyone watch Ed Shultz last night? I flipped through and noticed what appeared to be some sort of communist fist on a bunch of signs behind him as he broadcast from, I think it was Ohio.
Ed was pushing public jobs, and more so, public union jobs.
Yet in all of Ed’s words, or those of his extreme leftism, I’ve never heard him once mention the situation in too many people living off of the government, such as Greece.
It bothered me that Schultz was using the term “middle class” and “working class” so vaguely, but only to mean public unions. That is not the definition of either of those classes. It is much more broad and includes many non union members of the private class.
I also noticed that Schultz skirted around where the money comes from to pay the public worker. Not once did he credit the private sector. Instead, he blasted them. Making absurd statements about how wealthy and selfish they are and using the buzz word “wall street”.
All in all I am disappointed in the general public. What happened to that great saying of ask not what you country can do for you, instead ask, what can you do for your country. That crowd behind Schultz was one of the most selfish group of people ever assembled.
Are we headed down the same path as Greece? The answer is obvious.
Posted by: Mike | November 9, 2011, 8:36 am 8:36 am
Headline should read “Non-union tax payers take one up the back side”.
Posted by: mojo | November 9, 2011, 8:48 am 8:48 am
Funny how the headlines are always for liberals, forget that Obama’s healthcare was shot down, fo get that Republicans took over Virginia, etc. Now Ohio taxpayers get to keep paying for the unions healthcare and retirement. Sad
Posted by: Freedom | November 9, 2011, 9:06 am 9:06 am
What usually happens is politicians are willing to give the voter whatever they want to whoever will vote for them. The taxpayer is usually the loser.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 9, 2011, 9:09 am 9:09 am
The unions were successful in convincing Ohio voters that SB 5 should be repealed because it threatened “collective bargaining”… ignoring fiscal responsibility and the solvency of the state! — Please understand WHY “public sector” unions are in trouble in the first place…. WHY California, Illinois, and many other states are on LIFE SUPPORT due to pesion promises that are unsustainable!! — This is NOT about “private” unions… just the ones paid out of TAX dollars!!! —- Check out the UNION PENSIONS… Some union reps in Illinois are getting TWO Pensions for the same job!!! Yet some of these union bosses make over $9 MILLION in pension money after “retirement”!!! — The Chicago Tribune is reporting one official who was expected to get about $438,000 A YEAR would do so from THREE pensions covering the same work period: a city laborers fund, a union district council fund and a national union fund!!! —- THINK PEOPLE!!!!
Posted by: TheLoyalOpposition | November 9, 2011, 9:20 am 9:20 am
MiJoJe1 (8:26 AM); “We are at the “mercy” of a budget.” Poor guy.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 9, 2011, 9:40 am 9:40 am
Good morning crazy conservatives. Sanity has reared it’s head and we’re tired of your stuff.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | November 9, 2011, 9:50 am 9:50 am
Hooray!! Thanks Ohio, that’s one less State that Georgia has to compete against for jobs and growth! Now all the business and factories in Ohio fed up with being bullied by unions, high taxes and a lousy business climate (not to mention snow and cold) can come on down to Georgia where the living is easy, the weather great, the business climate fabulous and plenty of skilled workers for your companies. Oh, and we are a Right To Work State…not that it matters because a Southern worker thinks of a union card the same way as they think of a Communist Party card.
Posted by: seenoland | November 9, 2011, 9:56 am 9:56 am
@newcountryman: So out of the my entire post, you cut and posted a few words to make a weak point. I didn’t post what I did so anyone would feel sorry for me, but if that’s what you took from it, it says a lot more about you than it does me. And for the record, I’m not a guy.
Posted by: mijoje1 | November 9, 2011, 10:03 am 10:03 am
The PEOPLE spoke last evening and they spoke LOUDLY!!!! We saw Gov. Kasich with his tail between his legs because a higher majority REJECTED his attempt to END workers rights throughout this Nation then those that voted HIS butt into office. The Republicans have OVERSTEPPED their bounds since 2010 and they are not RIGHTFULLY getting SLAPPED down as they should be. They have been trying to minimize the voice of the democrat voter and people see through their scheme. The Republicans were defeated in Ohio on collective barganing, in Mississippi on a WOMAN’s Rights (they should be ASHAMED of themselves for even attempting to do such a thing), AND they were defeated in certain areas where the Republicans were trying to make it next to impossible for a citizen of the USA to execute their Constitutional RIGHT TO VOTE!!! They are disgusting in their blatant attempts to piece by piece put the neediest American Citizens in a position where they have NO Constitutional POWERS. Voter suppression is an old trick brought out of the moth balls every few years by the Republicans who KNOW that the MAJORITY of the PEOPLE in the USA do NOT want THEIR brand of an American ONLY for the WEALTHY!!! For those of you that would like to flick away these very important votes last night as being UNIMPORTANT, think again because this is EXACTLY what WILL bring us 4 MORE YEARS of a Good man trying to bring what is BEST for the WHOLE USA!!!! President Obama 2012!!!!!
Posted by: demNme5 | November 9, 2011, 10:07 am 10:07 am
Ending the life of an unborn baby is between a woman and her doctor. Leave morality out of it. – Ending the life of your “unwanted child” be it 2, 4 or 6 years old is between a woman and her conscience. Leave morality out of it. (Sound ridicules? So do you Casey Anthony!) I can barely comprehend the wicked, evil, callousness of a mother killing her unborn child let alone going out in public, standing up and cheering for her “right” to do it. The baby boomers have created a generation so lost and self-absorbed that there is only one hope for restoring the values of Washington and Jefferson….
Posted by: Mickey | November 9, 2011, 10:16 am 10:16 am
NEWCOUNTRYMAN: As a Brit I’d like to know where you get your 200 years from. We’ve been here for at least a thousand years (or more, depending on how you count it) and we’re still going strong. I see no reason that the U.S. of A. shouldn’t last as long or longer or even forever. Well done on these elections as well. It looks good for another four years for President Obama, the best President you’ve had in my lifetime and I go all the way back to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Posted by: 2hundredthousand | November 9, 2011, 10:18 am 10:18 am
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
POSTED BY: NEWCOUNTRYMAN ********
And the NEOCON philosophy always
initiates the downward spiral
Posted by: michael | November 9, 2011, 10:22 am 10:22 am
“Ending the life of your “unwanted child” be it 2, 4 or 6 years old is between a woman and her
conscience. Leave morality out of it. (Sound ridicules? )”POSTED BY: MICKEY | ****************
This is a typical extreme right -wing analogy., Trying to use this comparison makes absolutely
no sense at all. If the child is born, it is murder, unless you have money and a real
good lawyer.
Posted by: michael | November 9, 2011, 10:33 am 10:33 am
Guess all that Koch money can’t buy our elections. Power to the people!
Posted by: pamp205 | November 9, 2011, 10:35 am 10:35 am
MICKEY: And what hope is that? Republicans? Armed revolution? Your … doesn’t make it all clear to me.
Posted by: 2hundredthousand | November 9, 2011, 10:36 am 10:36 am
It also told us Americans reject Obamacare yet this was not mentioned. The sad thing is this will cost these state employees in the long run when they can no longer afford to pay their benefits/retirement packages with layoffs or not hiring behind those who retire. Or they will simply do what California is doing with the new employees needing to work until 67, pay more into their retirments and healthcare cost. Either way things are changing because of the unsustainable costs of these employees.
Posted by: Mark | November 9, 2011, 10:38 am 10:38 am
Ohio will be tested by dealing with the budget deficit! Now we will see if they prefer public service layoffs and reduced services or higher taxes.
Posted by: Common _ Sense | November 9, 2011, 10:39 am 10:39 am
Liberals victorious????LOL!! Really? Liberals got their butt handed to them AGAIN in Virginia! Repubs now control the entire state legislature and the voters will hand Obama a stunning defeat in a state that he needs to be reelected in 2012. Obama….one and done!
Posted by: Daisy | November 9, 2011, 11:11 am 11:11 am
Protecting an unborn human from the moment of conception is no “ideological battle,” it’s a valid, realsitic, humanitarian effort, because all evidence proves that a unique individual person begins at conception – you share the same ignorance which is killing one million people per year in the US, author, you shouldn’t take a stand about something you are ignorant of. I despise you.
Posted by: truthis | November 9, 2011, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
Who are these people whose faith in our Creator mandates that they believe that a fertilized egg is a person? If you are inclined to believe that this fertilized egg is God’s decision, then how can you turn around and stigmitize, even ostrasize this new person and the mother? Would your God allow this young, unmarried woman to become pregnant as a result of behavior that you are condemning with one breath and finding the result of this behavior to be a blessing from God. We are still attempting to teach our young people that making babies should happen when the babies have a mature mother and father who are willing to parent these children for the long haul. Also, if we become a person the moment of conception, what are the responsibilities of an embryo? Does that mean we will have to back up our age, and eliminate invitro fertilization, sue the mother if she miscarries, and etc. Have people become so desparate to try and get it right with their religious beliefs that they feel they must demonstrate love of life regardless of how one defines life, more than they love the Living! I am so confused; will someone please rationalize this scenerio for me.
Posted by: Hope Rice | November 10, 2011, 8:39 am 8:39 am