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Originally Posted by HejiraNYC
No offense, but North Carolina is toast. Today it is arguably the beacon of economic prosperity in the south- full of pre-eminent educational institutions, high tech (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals) and finance (e.g., Bank of America). Plus the natural beauty and isolation of the Cape is an undeniable tourism draw. I suspect that there will be quite the exodus starting in the near future. High tech, academia and finance require highly educated individuals (who are by and large liberal, go figure!), and actively preventing/oppressing the happiness and prosperity of GLBT via the state constitution is not exactly going to have people packing up the U-Hauls and moving into state. In other words: brain drain. As people head for the exits and recruiting new talent becomes more and more difficult, major companies will need to relocate out of state just to remain competitive. It's not only a matter of social justice, it's about the bottom line as well. It will eventually resemble its economically ravaged neighbors in Tennessee, Kentucky and South Carolina.
North Carolina, you deserve to lay in the bed you've just made.
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Sounds like you know the state exceedingly well! I lived in Charlotte for a decade... it's the largest city between Atlanta & DC- one of the real economic engines of that entire region. When I left NC 2 years ago LGBT folks were fleeing like rats on a sinking ship. North Carolina is an undeniably beautiful state... the Outer Banks & Appalachian Mountains are both especially stunning. But for LGBT folks the quality of life the state offers is seriously lacking, as yesterday's ammendment shows. Things like this marriage ammendment will really shoot the larger NC cities in the foot in the long run. Charlotte is already handicapped by the recession: it lost Wachovia to Wells Fargo & Bank of America is quickly becoming the poster child for what Americans hate about mega banks & the banking industry in general. Charlotte is still bleeding heavily because of the recession & the fact it's a 1 trick pony: it put all it's eggs in the banking basket, and there's no telling when that industry will fully recover, and what kind of a presence it will retain in NC. So by also chastening the LGBT population, NC is doing itself no favors to the types of people it really wants to attract: creative, educated, high income professionals. Those are the type people who diversify economies & diversification is key to expansion & successfully weathering future storms.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HejiraNYC
I personally think that GLBT equality will be the defining issue of Obama's second term. He is obviously playing his cards close to his chest regarding his "evolving" stance on gay marriage, but it is painfully obvious where he really stands. The day after inauguration he is going to finally come out of the marriage equality closet and the wheels will be set in motion on fronts. It truly is the most glaring social injustice that becomes radioactive to anyone who tries to touch it. In his second term he doesn't have to cow-tow to anyone.
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I think you're spot-on here. I still believe Obama will get a second term simply because Americans do not like to oust incombent presidents. However, I think it's going to be a much closer fight than it was in '08. Obama is going to have to battle hard to get even 3/4 of the people who voted for him in '08 to do so again. He's lost so much of the confidence of even his own party.