Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

MA says no to Iraq

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ELECTION UPDATES: By more than a 3-to-2 margin, voters in about one third of Massachusetts communities have sent Washington a message: get out of Iraq now. The non-binding resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq was winning in all 36 legislative districts it was on the ballot, with 52 percent of precincts counted.  –Developing

From the Globe’s front page.  It’s really interesting that it is winning in all 36 districts, although that might be an automatic bias that the districts that have it in the first place are the ones that it will win in.

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Comments

  1. might be an automatic bias that the districts that have it in the first place are the ones that it will win in.

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    Question 4 won handily here (20th Middlesex), in a district that went for Healey and is one of the few in the state with both a Republican Rep (Jones) and a Republican Senator (Tarr).  That will tell you something about the support for this war.

  2. Do you think THOSE places secretly support the question?

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    Or would have voted it down overwhelmingly?

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    (hint – my town couldn’t get the necessary signatures)

    • Are there actually districts where people tried, but failed, to collect the 200 needed signatures for this question?  This is not a very high hurdle.

  3. …for two reasons:

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    1.  If I recall the question correctly, I was asked whether I should instruct my state senator to vote yes on a non-binding resolution by the Legislature to call for the US to remove forces from Iraq. 

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    Well, I’m not sure where the Massachusetts legislature gets the authority to direct the Federal government to Dunkin’ Donuts.  Massachusetts VOTERS certainly can, and did on Iraq, but there’s something inappropriate I think when a state government buts directly into the affairs of the Federal government, or vice versa.  Imagine a federal ballot question asking whether a non-binding resolution should be passed calling for the end to Prop 2.5 in Massachusetts.

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    2.  “Get out of Iraq.”  What does that even mean?  Now?  next week?  Next year?  Completely?  Or just a draw down?  With or without partitioning the country?

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    Even after this passes, and even if someone in Washington DC notices we passed it, it’s still not very helpful.  News-flash:  Massachusetts is liberal.  Ok, but so what?

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    If this question had appeared two years ago it might have been both courageous and helpful.  Now, it’s neither.

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    The lesson as always:  Ballot questions are dumb.

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