Fighting on all fronts

It's pretty clear that Republicans looking to use Florida's anti-gay marriage ballot initiative to gay bash for partisan gain could be in trouble during this presidential election cycle, thanks to their own muddied positions on the issue. Another factor that might further neutralize the issue is the formation of Florida Red and Blue, one of the two groups that have formed to fight the amendment (the other is Fairness for all Families). Evidenced by its name, Florida Red and Blue aims to create a bipartisan coalition of activists who will work to defeat the amendment.

"We are made up of Republicans and Democrats and independents, and our message will be targeted to each of those groups, and that's our name, Red and Blue," said Stephen Gaskill, the group's communications director. "That's really what it's all about. This issue doesn't neatly divide along partisan lines as it may have in the past in other states."

Florida Red and Blue is chaired by Republican fundraiser Jon Kislak, who served as the finance chair for Bill McCullom's successful campaign for Florida Attorney General last year. Kislak has also worked for former Congressman Clay Shaw, who lost his re-election bid last year. Gaskill adds that some of the group's largest donors are Republicans. "So we have Republican credentials," he said. To date Florida Red and Blue has banked $1 million dollars to fight the amendment. The group is currently courting local Republican elected officials in the hope of recruiting them to the cause.

Despite the signature snafu, Florida Red and Blue continues to labor under the assumption that the measure will appear on the November ballot. To that end they are partnering with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to do voter outreach at polling places on Jan. 29, the day of the Sunshine State's presidential primary. The goal of the two organizations, said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse, is to identify 5000 opponents of the amendment in 10 cities across Florida. Florida Red and Blue and HRC plan to put 250 volunteers on the ground on primary day, said Rouse. HRC field staffers in Florida have already conducted a handful of trainings with local activists in preparation for the big day.

For those of you wondering how canvassers get the attention of harried voters heading into the polls, Rouse, the former MassEquality campaign director who helped build that group's grassroots operation, reveals one of the trick of the trade: "You have to get them with a really sexy statement," he says. "So you have to say things politically incorrectly [like] 'Hey, can I talk to you about gay marriage? That'll get everyone's attention, right? Everyone has an opinion about that."

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The amendment in question