What does it take to call for referendums like this in the US? Do we even have a mechanism for that? A way to bypass the asshole republicans?
There is no federal process for it, but at the state level, many states allow referenda to be placed on ballots if they gain enough signatures on a petition. Also, state legislatures (in at least some states) can decide to refer measures to the voters instead of voting on them themselves.
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They’ve had to is some states place for a long time now:
This doesn’t carry the weight you are thinking it does. It was non-binding. Of course the government would make themselves look cruel, stupid, incompetent and dishonest if they didn’t follow the people’s will on this, but they legally don’t have to. My understanding is that this is more of a way of pressuring assholes within the government to not make a huge fuss about the whole thing. I don’t think they would have had the vote if they didn’t want to put a bill forward.
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I wonder what the process would be to establish a Federal process for referendums in the US. Would it be a constitutional amendment?
bear_ing on Twitter has been pretty quiet about the plebiscite not going his way (apparently he’s opposed to gay marriage because he thinks it might lead to religious people being forced to be ministers at gay weddings). It’s just delicious to see right wingers have to eat humble pie now.
No, I understand that the AU vote was a postal survey. I’m just pondering the process for establishing national referendums in the US, similar to some State referendums. I never before felt the need for such a thing, but Trump and the GOP, gerrymandering, and campaign contributions have left me feeling sometimes the populace needs the freedom to take the steering wheel.
(I was thinking of that very article.)
It’s so weird how everyone is emphasizing the postal nature of this vote when they want to denigrate it. There is nothing inherently untrustworthy about vote by mail. It’s been working quite well in my part of the world for almost two decades now.
Nah - I think it’s the non binding nature of the vote that’s getting all the flack - and rightly so. Still - good result!
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Isn’t it mostly that it was totally unnecessary and a complete waste of money?
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Actually, it’s likely that this will be the political death of Turnbull. The extreme right will use this and the move towards enabling legislation to threaten fracturing of the Liberal party unless Turnbull (who is on the edge now) is replaced with a more conservative PM. On top of that, new legislation will be proposed to ensure religions, etc, can legally express their hate for gay marriage.
Don’t believe that this is over. The real battle will start now.
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oh, how we danced last night in hyde park, sydney as the dj dropped first choice’s “let no man put asunder”…right in front of the catholic cathedral.
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I dunno, surely the result proves that there isn’t some “silent majority” calling for another shift to the right. If a federal election had the kind of margins we saw yesterday it would basically end two-party politics as we know it.
Brexit and Trump were coin-toss wins that the right seized on as an omen of a new dawn, but if anything it seems like Trump’s odious example has pushed the pendulum back to the left in a big way.
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Non-binding referendums (even when they were just slated with the intention to deal with internal party issues) can carry a lot of weight.
(I’m looking at you, Callmedave!)
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I’m reminded of this number, and the end of that cunt Howard’s reign.
I remember how it was a beautiful day here in Melbourne, the first in months. On my way into the polling place, someone tried to hand me a coalition how to vote card. I stopped and indicated the sky.
‘See this? We’re standing in the light at the end of the tunnel.’
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I had fun that day.
I spent the first half cheerfully hassling people at polling booths for the Greens, then retired to the USyd bars. The declaration of results cued the smashing of a John Howard piñata over the Manning Bar dancefloor.
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Non-binding postal survey. Things have become clearer. Thanks for that post cubicblackpig.
Oh yeah, if you call a non-binding referendum, it comes up 60-40 and you say, “Actually, nah, we won’t do that” then don’t expect to do well in the next election. (Well, maybe, I don’t know that much about Australian politics, but in Canada 40% support is solid majority territory)
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Turnbull is probably cactus no matter what happens.
Half of his own party hate him for not being an extreme right bastard, and half of the country hate his party…because half of the party are extreme right bastards.
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