Election 2006 provides us food for thought
for the future

By John Huebscher

	John Huebscher

Here are some parting thoughts about election 2006.

Neighbors Think Alike. As I scanned the vote totals for the constitutional amendment to define marriage, I was struck by how much the debate and the outcome in Wisconsin mirrored that in our neighbor to the east - Michigan.

The states are similar politically. Both are in the Upper Midwest. Both have voted Democratic for statewide office in recent years. Both have a relatively high percentage of regular churchgoers. Both have an above average percentage of Catholics.

The language of the amendment on our ballot was similar, if not identical, to that voted on two years ago in the Automobile State. In both states, opponents expressed concern over the impact of the "second sentence." Both states had well funded campaigns.

And the outcome was nearly identical. Both states approved the measure by a 59%-41% margin. In both states nearly every county voted yes. In Wisconsin the count was 71-1; in Michigan 81-2. In both states, the counties that opposed the amendment included major universities. The margin in each state's major metropolitan area - Wayne County (Detroit) and Milwaukee County - was 55%-45% in favor. The vote "out state" in both places was about 2-1 in favor. Finally, exit polls suggest that Catholics supported the amendment at about the same rate as the rest of the electorate.

The More We Talk About the Death Penalty, the Less We Like It. The 55%-45% vote in favor of the advisory referendum on the death penalty also reflected the national conversation on the topic. Most polls on the death penalty show strong support of 70% or greater. However, as one discusses the issue and invites respondents to consider other options, support drops to nearly 50% or less.

We saw that pattern play out here. Polls on the referendum last spring showed support of close to 2-1 or more when factoring in the undecided. As the campaign progressed, support for the death penalty dropped. By Election Day it was down to 55-45.

Moreover, in one pre-election survey, when offered the option of life in prison without parole, the respondents opted for life in prison by a narrow margin. Finally, even as they approved the advisory referendum, voters were electing a Governor and legislators who oppose enacting a death penalty statute. Consider the case closed for the time being.

Referenda Can Engage Citizens in Public Conversation. While there was speculation that the referenda issues would draw out "socially conservative" voters inclined to support a certain kind of candidate, the results show that the electorate is more complex. Voter turnout was up overall and young voters participated in greater numbers than in past mid-term elections.

Further, while many feared that the referenda discussions would generate more "heat than light," the public face of the campaigns on the issues and the public debates and discussions were civil and informative.

Like any election, 2006 had its lessons. And they offer food for thought.

(Huebscher is executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the civil arm of the state's five diocesan bishops.)