We should be clear. The robocalls from Fair Wisconsin telling people that they should vote no to protect marriage from activist judges and so that marriage in Wisconsin should not vote are a dirty trick. I understand the arguments that they offer on behalf of the proposition that these are true statements. I think those arguments are insubstantial but that's not really the point. The only way that you'd characterize a "no" vote in that way is to confuse people, Fair Wisconsin knows that the people for whom unexplained references to "activist judges" and "not changing marriage" are people who do not want those activist judges to impose same sex marriage. It's one thing to tell those people that this "won't happen" if the amendment fails. It is, for reasons that I've explained elsewhere, wrong but at least your interlocutor knows what you're talking about.
This is, plain and simple, an effort to deceive. It shows me that they think they are going to lose and that they would rather win than play fair.
The amendment opponents that I met on the speaking circuit - people like Lester Pines, Scott Moss, Lena Taylor, Michele LaVigne (along with others I don't have space to mention) - were intelligent, honest and honorable people. They were a joy to debate. I don't attribute this to them.
But it stinks.
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