On Question 1

In a post published Tuesday morning, Down East political blogger (and newly registered Westbrook voter) Mike Tipping wrote that "there's still the uncertainty and expectation of election day. We don't yet know how we'll think of our state tomorrow."

In an effort to follow up at the second half of that elegant truism, here's a round-up of what we--and national pundits--think of our state, two days removed from the referendum election that positioned the Pine Tree State at the forefront of a burgeoning national debate:

Matthew Gagnon writes about how the No on 1 campaign underperformed in urban and suburban areas, thereby failing to compensate for the drubbing they took in rural areas.

Katie Connolly reasons that supporters of same-sex marriage should be comforted by the fact that a generational shift and changing cultural norms are in their favor, even if No on 1's defeat represents an enormous dissapointment.

Rod Dreher argues that advocates of same-sex marriage should not label their opponents as bigots--even if many of them are (editor's note: his words, not mine)--because such a strategy has yielded a 0-for-31 success rate for same-sex proponents in referenda around the country.

Andrew Sullivan reminds proponents of same-sex marriage about the progress that has been made on this issue and encourages them to keep the defeat in perspective.

Jeff Inglis is reminded of what it feels like living in the political wilderness.

David Gibson points to religion, class, and culture as the reasons the Yes on 1 campaign won.

Maggie Gallagher thinks Yes on 1 won the referendum because most Americans believe same-sex marriage is a civil wrong, not a civil right.

Bridgette P. Lavictoire calls on proponents of same-sex marriage to boycott lobster as a way to help Mainers live by God's Law--and, of course, to punish the state economically.

W. James Antle III instructs social conservatives to temper their enthusiasm following Yes on 1's win, because social trends favor proponents of same-sex marriage.

Derek Viger wonders what good a boycott of Maine products would accomplish for supporters of same-sex marriage.

Nate Silver admits his prediction for a win for No on 1 was wrong, but he believes neither campaign deserves credit or blame due to the strong opinions many people already have about this subject.

Jesse Ellison thinks Maine voted for Yes on 1 because we are an odd, little state populated by non-conformists.

Sandip Roy looks at how No on 1's defeat in Maine will affect efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in California.

- John C.L. Morgan

(Update: Bishop Richard Malone thanks Mainers for defending traditional marriage, and Ana Marie Cox cries while listening to the "Glee" soundtrack and thinking about Tuesday's result.)