Actually, talking to a friend from Ohio, it seems that a lot of churches were strongly encouraging people to go vote for the same-sex marriage constitutional ammendment. Unfortunately, the vast majority of those people also ended up voting for Bush.

Most of our country apparently fears gay people so much that it trumped every other issue.

I don't think it's that simple. I reluctantly voted for Bush because he is closer in line with my moral beliefs. Though I disagree with him on a number of issues--his foolish war plan, his stance on gay marriage, and many others, I couldn't ignore how completely out of line Kerry is with my most important issues.

I know we in the "religious right" just don't make sense to a lot of people, but when we feel so strongly about something - even if it's just one issue - we sometimes vote for people we don't wholly like. I'd be curious to hear how many Bush voters truly like everything he stands for.

As the only member of the religious right I can talk to without fearing for my job, I'd be curious to hear how you consider sending people to die in a pointless war to be moral? I can understand how religious people could buy into the whole thing about Bush often mentioning prayer and all that, but how do you justify the war?

This seems like a pretty big deal to me, bigger than any home front moral issue like abortion or gay marriage. Abortion is debatable murder (I say debatable because I haven't heard a single person give me a solid timeframe for when "group of cells" becomes "human being"), while the war is most definitely murder.

I feel better about this election in that at least Bush actually won this time rather than losing but being awarded the presidency anyway like last time. I may not agree with..well..anything that he says or does, but at least America got the president they voted for, whether they knew what they were doing or not.

(The first time I tried to submit this comment it got rejected for objectionable material, that material being the word h-o-m-e-f-r-o-n-t. ???)

Wow -- well this conversation is pretty much what I've been hearing from my friends on both sides of the hanging chads.

Sarah I applaud you for voting your conscience even if it is not the way I voted.

I wish we could pick and choose topics and make the perfect president based on those things, instead of having to settle for a package with some things we like in it and much we don't like.

Here in San Francisco a lot of people are wondering if Gavin Newsom (SF mayor) didn't lose the election for Kerry. He brought gay marriage into the spotlight and energized Republicans around an issue which wasn't on the radar at the beginning of the year. Putting the amendments on the ballot in 11 states was really just the icing on the cake.

Who would have guessed that in the middle of a war and a lousy economy this could arguably be the defining issue?

Actually the issue was brought to the forefront when Massachusetts allowed homosexual marriage. A majority of the people that did the exit polls (who voted for Bush) tended to say that the main (only?) reason they voted for Bush is moral issues.

There seems to be some evidence popping up that the vote was hacked in key states to favor Bush. See what you think:

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=284

Of course, it is from michaelmoore.com, so take it with a grain of salt as big as Moore himself.

I wonder why Kerry didn't do better also i thinc he done did knot tri so very hard mayby if he tris a more hardderer next alaction he will come more close (i don't wear underwear)

Reflecting upon comments posted by kiv'adoiugda i concur with him