California and Los Angeles Election Results Summary

Here is an update on MadProfessah's endorsements for the November 4, 2008 election. The results can be found at the Secretary of State's website.

Proposition Number (Topic)                MadProfessah      RESULT

1A (High Speed Train Bond)                YES               YES
2  (Humane Farming)                       YES               YES
3  (Children's Hospital Bond)              NO               YES    
4  (Teen Safety Initiative)                NO               NO

5  (Non-Violent Drug Offenses)             YES              NO

6  (Prison Expansion)                      NO               NO

7  (Renewable Energy Expansion)            YES              NO

8  (Eliminates Marriage Rights)            HELL NO          YES

9  (Victim Rights Amendment)               NO               YES

10 (Billionaire Renewable Energy Scam)     NO               N

11 (Republican-Favored Re-districting)     NO               YES

12 (Veterans' Housing Bond)                YES              YES

COUNTY AND CITY MEASURES

Measure A (Anti-Gang Parcel Tax Increase)  NO               NO

Measure B (Low Rent Housing Update)        NO               NO

Measure J (Community College Vond)         YES              YES

Measure Q (LAUSD School Bond)              NO               YES

Measure R (MTA Sales Tax Increase)         YES              YES

Measure U (Unincorporated County User Tax) NO               NO

State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas easily won his run-off election with Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks for the 2nd District Los Angeles County Supervisor seat.

Every judge that I endorsed lost except for Hilleri Grossman Merritt.

Eye Candy: Lucas Resende

The boys at Queerty put up these pictures of Brazilian model Lucas Resende from the terra.com.br/theboy

LAPD Brutality: It's Not Just For Black People Anymore...

Hmm, I wonder if this video will start to make Black people realize that they have something of a civil rights tradition in common with LGBT folk after all:


The video was taken at public protests over passage of Proposition 8 in Hollywood on the night of Wednesday November 5, 2008.

Speech By John Duran at Weho Protest Over PROP 8

John Duran, openly gay, HIV+ Latino former Mayor of West Hollwyood and Board President of Equality California gave the following powerful remarks last night from the stage about Proposition 8, LGBT civil rights and racism (as transcribed by lesbian reporter Karen Ocamb):

My voice has been horse almost gone but I had to get out of bed to be
here with all of you. I was so happy last night at the Music Box at
8:01 when California put Barack Obama over the line to be our next
President of the United States.

(Cheers.)

And I rejoiced watching (?) in Times Square in New York and Grant
Park, in Chicago at the Old Court House in Atlanta – all across this
country people cheering for Barack Obama as we did as a gay and
lesbian, bisexual and transgender community at the Music Box. We
shared that joy together.

And then, within 30 minutes, as the numbers started to come in – I
felt the joy being deflated by the fact that we were falling behind
on Proposition 8.

And then I was crushed when I heard that people of color were voting
against the GLBT community.

(Boos)

And I started to wonder to myself – how could this be? After all we
have struggled together as one coalition – in the Rainbow Coalition –
how could it be?

And then the stories started to come in from last night from my own
Latino culture on Santa Monica Boulevard – that there were Latino
males with Yes on 8 banners screaming “faggot” and “queer” at our
people along Santa Monica Boulevard.

(Boos)

As I heard the story of our black lesbian volunteer at a polling
place who was told by another black woman that “her kind” didn’t
deserve civil rights – how could that be?

(Boos)

My friends Alan and Jeff – who I married on Sunday – when they were
passing out No on 8 literature – had an old woman come up and spit
upon them. How could that be?

(Boos)

These were the stories I heard – so what it told me – and I get this
now – is that Yes on 8 – it was supported by black and white and
Latino and Asian and young and old people – that is true.

But the OTHER HALF of the vote was also black and white and Latino
and Asian and young and old.

(Cheers)

Never again. Never again will I assume that just because somebody is
of one race they are more likely to be supportive or opposed to me.
Or if somebody is of one religion – that he or she is more supportive
or opposed to me. Or of one political affiliation.

I need to start the same question with every person I meet,
regardless of those characteristics: Are you with the gay and lesbian
community or are you not?

(Cheers)

I completely get that the history of our country – and I completely
get the black community’s struggle against slavery and being denied
the right to vote and the lynching and the Jim Crows laws. And it
moves me with compassion when I hear those stories.

And I get the stories of Cesar Chavez and the farm Workers and the
xenophobia and what they had to fight for here in California. And it
moves me with compassion to hear about it.

And Asians being taken away to concentration camps during World War
Two. And Jews suffering in the Holocaust. I get all that.

But what about our chapter in the civil rights history? (Cheers)

(This is only partial because of the applause) If you want us to vote
for you or fight for you – then you must vote for us as well.

(Cheers)

But I am not here to compare our civil rights struggle to their civil
rights struggle. There’s no winner in the game for the bottom rung on
the ladder – we’ve all suffered. That is a no-win game.

I am here to say you must respect our same call for justice as we
respect your call for justice….
(cheers) because we too know brutality – the brutality on the
schoolyards when we were children and we know the brutality that AIDS
decimated our community over the last 25 years.

And we know the indecency now of not only being called threat to
children – as if we are a threat to our own children – but now to be
told indecently – we don’t have the right to marry the person we love.

That is not right in this America.

(Cheers)

So our stories are a call for justice – the same tonight. Remember
these dates: remember this night because this night is a new page in
the history our gay and lesbian community’s struggle. This week – we
will remember it from this time forward – just like October 11, 1987
when ACT UP was formed in Washington DC during the March on Washington.

And just like September 30, 1991 when we rushed into the streets when
Gov. Peter Wilson vetoed AB 101.

This night is our decade’s call to action…(much screaming and cheers)
– God Bless you all….

Wow. Channeling Harvey Milk. Remember the date: November5, 2008.

NO ON PROP 8 Concedes Defeat

In an e-mail titled "We Will Not Give Up" to its supports and contributors, the campaign to defeat Proposition 8, Equality For All, has conceded defeat:

We had hoped never to have to write this email.

Sadly, fueled by misinformation, distortions and lies, millions of voters went to the polls yesterday and said YES to bigotry, YES to discrimination, YES to second-class status for same-sex couples.

And while the election was close, and millions of votes still remain uncounted, it has become apparent that we lost.

There is no question this defeat is hard.

Thousands of people have poured their talents, their time, their resources and their hearts into this struggle for freedom and this fight to have their relationships treated equally. Much has been sacrificed in this struggle.

While we knew the odds for success were not with us, we believed Californians could be the first in the nation to defeat the injustice of discriminatory measures like Proposition 8.

And while victory is not ours this day, we know that because of the work done here, freedom, fairness and equality will be ours someday. Just look at how far we have come in a few decades.

Up until 1974 same-sex intimacy was a crime in California. There wasn't a single law recognizing the relationships of same-sex couples until 1984 -- passed by the Berkeley School District. San Francisco did not pass domestic-partner protections until 1990; the state of California followed in 2005. And in 2000, Proposition 22 passed with a 23% majority.

Today, we fought to retain our right to marry and millions of Californians stood with us. Over the course of this campaign everyday Californians and their friends, neighbors and families built a civil rights campaign unequalled in California history.

You raised more money than anyone believed possible for an LGBT civil rights campaign.

You reached out to family and friends in record numbers -- helping hundreds of thousands of Californians understand what the LGBT civil rights struggle is really about.

You built the largest grassroots and volunteer network that has ever been built -- a coalition that will continue to fight until all people are equal.

And you made the case to the people of California and to the rest of the world that discrimination -- in any form -- is unfair and wrong.

We are humbled by the courage, dignity and commitment displayed by all who fought this historic battle.

Victory was not ours today. But the struggle for equality is not over.

Because of the struggle fought here in California -- fought so incredibly well by the people in this state who love freedom and justice -- our fight for full civil rights will continue.

Activist and writer Anne Lamott writes, "Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up."

We stand together, knowing... our dawn will come.

Dr. Delores A. Jacobs CEO Center Advocacy Project

Lorri L. Jean CEO L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

Kate Kendell Executive Director National Center for Lesbian Rights

Geoff Kors Executive Director Equality California

Venus To Meet Serena in Doha Today

Venus Williams will meet her sister Serena for the eighteenth time on the WTA Tour at the Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar on Thursday. Venus has won her first two matches, with Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina, respectively, and a win over Serena will clinch Venus' place her into the semifinals. In the other half of the draw, unheralded Vera Zvonareva has surprisingly won her first two matches, over Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

It is likely the four semifinalists will be Venus Williams versus Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams versus Vera Zvonareva. Here's hoping for a Williams-Williams final for the last match of the 2008 WTA Tour!

Why We Lost Prop 8: Blame "Pro-choice Obama-Democrats"

Kevin Roderick at the LA Observed blog answers a question that I have been having about Tuesday's mixed election results for progressive Democrats. Namely, how the heck did Obama win California by 20+ points and Proposition 4 (abortion parental notification) fail easily while Proposition 8 (elimination of gay marriage) passed?

Californians who voted:

For Barack Obama: 6,194,012
Against parental notification before teen abortion: 5,071,449
To retain same-sex marriage: 4,806,595

Proposition 8 to define marriage as only between a man and woman got 52.2% (5,240,930 votes, with 96.8 precincts reporting, pending challenges.) If there's any consolation for the thousands of couples who got married in recent months, and other supporters, the last time California voted to ban gay marriage the initiative got 61.4% of the vote.

That shows that there were over 1.3 million more people who were willing to vote for the first Black president than were willing to protect our state constitution from eliminating rights instead of protecting them. Clearly, the lies on the weekend before the election from the YES ON 8 folks about Obama's position on their discriminatory amendment fed into that.



That 1.3 million gap is much more than the 200,000+ voters who are staunchly pro-choice but not staunchly pro-equality. It is also more than the roughly 200,000 votes from the African American electorate if they had voted similarly to the white electorate in California on Proposition 8.

It was fickle "progressive" Democrats that caused Proposition 8 to pass. I have been saying for weeks that if Democrats were only opposing Proposition 8 in the mid-60s while Republicans were supporting it in the high 70s then we would lose.

The revised exit polls posted by CNN show that Democrats (42% of sample) opposed Prop 8 64%-36%, while Republicans (29%) supported it 85%-15% and Independents (28%) opposed discrimination 54%-46%. Stop blaming Black people and the illusory "Obama effect" for Proposition 8's passage!

I do agree that it is troubling that 70% of Black people voted for Proposition 8 in exit polls and that shows just how much work needs to be done in the Black community to combat decades of homophobic indoctrination by the conservative religious community. It does not mean that Black people are inherently more homophobic than other communities.

I would like progressive Democrats (especially LGBT ones) who are currently blaming Black and brown people for Proposition 8's failure to look at the numbers and then look in the mirror as they consider the reasons Californians failed to reject Proposition 8's promise of discrimination and prolonged heterosexual privilege on Tuesday while they were electing the first Black man to the Presidency of the United States.

Black LGBT Calls Prop 8 "Shameful and Wrong"

The Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition sends out a press release denouncing the passage of Proposition 8.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2008

CONTACT:
Ron Buckmire
PHONE: 323-314-2949

Jordan/Rustin Coalition expresses dismay at passage of proposition 8
Black LGBT group calls it a “shameful and wrong” act and vows to
continue working for full equality under the law

(Los Angeles, CA, November 5, 2008) The Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition
(known as the Jordan/Rustin Coalition), the primary organization devoted to organizing African Americans for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in Southern California expressed dismay at the impending passage of Proposition 8 by California voters and described it as a shameful and wrong act. With over 99% of the vote counted, the state constitutional amendment to declare marriages of same-sex couples as neither “valid or recognized in California” is leading (52% YES to 48% NO) by over 400,000 votes out of nearly 10 million cast and is almost certain to pass.

"It is shameful and wrong that the people of California have apparently voted to eliminate a fundamental right of a single group of Californians while at the same time electing the first African American president," said Jordan Rustin Coalition board president Ron Buckmire. "We call upon the Supreme Court of California to declare this amendment unconstitutional under either the State or Federal Constitution. Our system of laws does not allow the rights of a minority to be decided by the whims or biases of the majority of the electorate."

In 1992 Colorado voters passed Amendment 2 which would have amended that state’s constitution to prohibit any legislative body in the state from enacting anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation. That ballot measure was immediately enjoined from going into effect and was found unconstitutional by every court that examined it. Finally, in 1996, Colorado’s Amendment 2 was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in a 6-3 landmark decision named Romer v. Evans. Justice Kennedy, writing for the majority, declared
“that Amendment 2 classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A State cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws.”


California’s Proposition 8 is attempting to make legally married same-sex couples strangers to its laws. This California can not do.

Exit polls from CNN indicate that African Americans made up nearly 10% of the California electorate on the historic day that an African American man was first elected President of the United States. African Americans make up about 6% of the California population, according to 2006 figures from the U.S. Census. 74% of Black women and 64% of Black men voted for Proposition 8, according to CNN's exit polls. These exit polls also show that in California 5% of voters were lesbian, gay or bisexual and that nationwide 4% of all presidential voters were lesbian, gay or bisexual and voted for Barack Obama over John McCain by a 70% to 27% margin.

In 2000, Proposition 22 passed by a margin of over 22 percentage points, while yesterday Proposition 8 has passed by less than 5 points. Clearly, Californian voters are becoming more accepting of marriage equality as time goes by. The election results also show that we face challenges in convincing our fellow Black brothers and sisters of the righteousness of the idea of equal access to civil marriage for all Americans. The Jordan/Rustin Coalition will continue to work in the African American community to promote ``equal standing for all” under the laws of California and the United States of America.

###

ABOUT the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition

The mission of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition (or Jordan
Rustin Coalition) is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to
promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone
without regard to race, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Rally in Weho To Protest Prop 8 at 7pm Today!

Jeff Prang, The Mayor of West Hollywood, the Los Angeles County's most predominantly LGBT neighborhood, sent out this annou ncement about a public reaction to Proposition 8's passage:

As deeply disappointed as we all are that California voters passed
Proposition 8, we must not allow that disappointment to linger. This
vote is a temporary defeat in the long march toward equal rights for
all citizens in America.

Please join me for a protest rally tonight at 7 pm on San Vicente Blvd
between West Hollywood Park and the Pacific Design Center (647 N. San
Vicente Blvd. West Hollywood CA 90069) as we move forward towards
restoring equality for all in California.

San Vicente Blvd, between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Avenue will be
closed tonight starting at 6 pm. San Vicente south-bound traffic will
be directed to make left or right at Santa Monica Blvd. Signs have
already been posted to help divert traffic.

For more information about tonight's rally, please contact (323) 848-6460.

Lawsuit Against Prop 8 Filed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2008

Media Contacts:
Jason Howe
Public Information Officer
Lambda Legal
213.382.7600 x247
Mobile: 415.595.9245
jhowe@lambdalegal.org

Laura Saponara
Communications Director
ACLU of Northern California
415.621.2493
lsapanora@aclunc.org


Legal Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Proposition 8,
Should It Pass

Legal Papers Claim Initiative Procedure Cannot Be Used To Undermine the
Constitution’s Core Commitment To Equality For Everyone


SAN FRANCISCO – The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a writ petition before the California Supreme Court today urging the court to invalidate Proposition 8 if it passes. The petition charges that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians. Proposition 8 also improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. According to the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.

The California Constitution itself sets out two ways to alter the document that sets the most basic rules about how state government works. Through the initiative process, voters can make relatively small changes to the constitution. But any measure that would change the underlying principles of the constitution must first be approved by the legislature before being submitted to the voters. That didn’t happen with Proposition 8, and that’s why it’s invalid.

“If the voters approved an initiative that took the right to free speech away from women, but not from men, everyone would agree that such a measure conflicts with the basic ideals of equality enshrined in our constitution. Proposition 8 suffers from the same flaw – it removes a protected constitutional right – here, the right to marry – not from all Californians, but just from one group of us,” said Jenny Pizer, a staff attorney with Lambda Legal. “That’s too big a change in the principles of our constitution to be made just by a bare majority of voters.”

“A major purpose of the constitution is to protect minorities from majorities. Because changing that principle is a fundamental change to the organizing principles of the constitution itself, only the legislature can initiate such revisions to the constitution,” added Elizabeth Gill, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California.

The lawsuit was filed today in the California Supreme Court on behalf of Equality California and 6 same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday’s election but would like to be able to marry now.

The groups filed a writ petition in the California Supreme Court before the elections presenting similar arguments because they believed the initiative should not have appeared on the ballot, but the court dismissed that petition without addressing its merits. That earlier order is not precedent here.

“Historically, courts are reluctant to get involved in disputes if they can avoid doing so,” said Shannon Minter, Legal Director of NCLR. “It is not uncommon for the court to wait to see what happens at the polls before considering these legal arguments. However, now that Prop 8 may pass, the courts will have to weigh in and we believe they will agree that Prop 8 should never have been on the ballot in the first place.”

This would not be the first time the court has struck down an improper voter initiative. In 1990, the court stuck down an initiative that would have added a provision to the California Constitution stating that the “Constitution shall not be construed by the courts to afford greater rights to criminal defendants than those afforded by the Constitution of the United States.” That measure was invalid because it improperly attempted to strip California’s courts of their role as independent interpreters of the state’s constitution.

In a statement issued earlier today, the groups stated their conviction, which is shared by the California Attorney General, that the state will continue to honor the marriages of the 18,000 lesbian and gay couples who have already married in California. A copy of the statement as well as the writ petition filed today is available a www.aclu.org/lgbt, www.lambdalegal.org, and www.nclrights.org.

In addition to the ACLU, Lambda Legal and NCLR, the legal team bringing the writ also includes the Law Office of David C. Codell; Munger Tolles & Olson, LLP; and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP.

###

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.nclrights.org

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. www.lambdalegal.org

The American Civil Liberties Union is America’s foremost advocate of individual rights. It fights discrimination and moves public opinion on LGBT rights through the courts, legislatures and public education. www.aclu.org

Founded in 1998, Equality California celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008, commemorating a decade of building a state of equality in California. EQCA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. www.eqca.org

No On Prop 8 Refuses To Concede

This is the response of the NO ON PROP 8 campaign to multiple news organizations calling Proposition 8 as having passed:

Results Status

Roughly 400,000 votes separate yes from no on Prop 8 - out of 10 million votes tallied.

Based on turnout estimates reported yesterday, we expect that there are more than 3 million and possibly as many as 4 million absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted.

Given that fundamental rights are at stake, we must wait to hear from the Secretary of State tomorrow how many votes are yet to be counted as well as where they are from.

It is clearly a very close election and we monitored the results all evening and this morning.

As of this point, the election is too close to call.

Because Prop 8 involves the sensitive matter of individual rights, we believe it is important to wait until we receive further information about the outcome.

Geoff Kors
Executive Committee
NO on Prop 8

Kate Kendell
Executive Committee
NO on Prop 8

If there were 4 million outstanding votes, Proposition 8 would have to be opposed by more than 55% of those voters to have a chance of overcoming the current deficit.

That's Not Going To Happen.

It's on to the courts, people.

More Obama Newspaper Covers

Obama's Win Around The World

Joe.My.God has this great collage of front pages of newspapers around the world announcing Obama's electoral victory last night.

2008 Weblog Awards Begin Today

Joe.My.God notes that Pam Spaulding has announced that nominations have begun for the 2008 Weblog Awards. I like both PHB (2005 and 2006 Best LGBT Blog) and JMG (2007 Best LGBT Blog) but I think that Rod 2.0 deserves to win Best LGBT Blog for 2008. His coverage of the implosion of Black Gay Pride in New York City over the summer was nothing less than first-class journalism. Also, his coverage of the incredibly long emocratic primary was excellent and nuanced. My second choice would be JMG.


There are lots of categories to vote for this year, including Best Blog, Best LGBT Blog, Best Individual Blogger, Best Sports Blog, and Best Liberal Blog. Just letting my readers know :)

Proposition 8 UPDATE: 52% YES 48% NO

Here is an early morning update on California ballot measures:

91% reporting (as of 5:32 a.m.)

Prop 1A (high-speed rail)
Yes: 52.3%
No: 47.7%

Prop 2 (farm animals)
Yes: 63.3%
No: 36.7%

Prop 3 (children's hospitals)
Yes: 54.7%
No: 45.3%

Prop 4 (parental notification)
Yes: 47.4%
No: 52.6%

Prop 5 (nonviolent drug offenses)
Yes: 40.2%
No: 59.8%

Prop 6 (law enforcement funding)
Yes: 30.3%
No: 69.7%

Prop 7 (renewable energy generation)
Yes: 34.9%
No: 65.1%

Prop 8 (same-sex marriage elimination)
Yes: 51.9%
No: 48.1%

Prop 9 (victims' rights)
Yes: 53.1%
No: 46.9%

Prop 10 (alternative fuel bonds)
Yes: 40.0%
No: 60.0%

Prop 11 (redistricting)
Yes: 50.5%
No: 49.5%

Prop 12 (veterans' bond)
Yes: 63.5%
No: 36.5%

Prop 8 Latest Results 54.2% Yes 45.8% No (12% In)

Latest results (9:12pm):
Available here (SECRETARY OF STATE), here (LA TIMES)and here (SF GATE).

Proposition 8 Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Choice Votes %
Yes 1,778,601 54.2%
No 1,501,622 45.8%

Marriage bans in Florida and Arizona have been approved. Connecticut will not have a constitutional convention, so marriage equality will be safe in that state for the foreseeable future, and goes into effect next Monday November 10.

Obama Wins!!

Obama Is President-Elect!

Final Field Polls on all 12 CA Propositions

The Field Poll is the most accurate pollster in California history. They released their polls on all 12 statewide propositions on Tuesday's ballot over the weekend:

Proposition 1A (high-speed rail bonds)
Yes: 47%
No: 42%

Proposition 2 (farm animal confinement)
Yes: 60%
No: 27%

Proposition 3 (children's hospital bonds)
Yes: 54%
No: 35%

Proposition 4 (parental notification for teen abortion)
Yes: 45%
No: 43%

Proposition 7 (renewable energy generation)
Yes: 39%
No: 43%

Proposition 8 (ban on same-sex marriage)
Yes: 44%
No: 49%

Proposition 10 (alternative fuel vehicles bonds)
Yes: 49%
No: 39%

Proposition 11 (redistricting)
Yes: 45%
No: 30%

Proposition 12 (veterans bonds)
Yes: 58%
No: 29%

You can see MadProfessah's positions on all these ballot measures here. VOTE!

Pollster.com Average for Prop 8: 50% No 45.4% Yes

Fight For Equality In California Surpasses $73 Million!

The cost of the campaign to eliminate the right to marry for same-sex couples in California has now exceeded 73,692,704 dollars. This is more than twice the amount of money that was spent on the first twenty-seven anti-gay ballot measures combined. It should be noted that the forces of equality have previously won only one those 27 races (Arizona's Proposition 107 in 2006). The two other anti-gay ballot measures this year are in Arizona (again!) and Florida. The total amount of money spent in both of those races is less than $10 million.

The Proposition 8 ballot measure fight is now the most expensive electoral ballot in the history of social issue initiative campaigns.

I want to thank MadProfessah.com readers for donating more than our $1,000 dollar goal to NO ON PROP 8. But we need you to do more.

I am posting the amount for people to realize exactly how serious this battle is. The polls have consistently shown this race within the margin of error and it will be won or lost in the turnout
of who shows up to vote. Regardless of what happens in the Presidential election, we must encourage everyone who is registered to vote to come out to vote and vote NO ON PROP 8. It's unfair and wrong for the Mormon church to impose their religious view on marriage on all Californians by amending our state Constitution.

Please tell all your friends, families and neighbors to vote No on Proposition 8, and if you can, please volunteer to get the word out to voters on Election Day.

VOTE! We CAN Do This, "Yes WE CAN!"

Obama Final Polling Lead 51.1 to 44.1

Tremayne at OpenLeft.com summarizes the final national polling the day before the election. Folks, it's not going to be close.

More Mormon Activity To Promote Prop 8 Exposed Online

The Mormon Church is not happy about the above web video from the Courage Campaign showing Mormon missionaries invadfing the home of a lesbian couple to find and destroy their California marriage licence. Local CBS television affiliate KUTV in Utah has run multiple stories about the activities of the grassroots to inform voters of the deep involvement the Mormon Church has with the attempt to write discrimination into the state constitution of California. Here is an except from their coverage:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not happy with the tactics used in this commercial.

Scott Trotter with the Church released this statement,

“The Church has joined a broad-based coalition in defense of traditional marriage. While we feel this is important to all of society, we have always emphasized that respect be given to those who feel differently on this issue. It is unfortunate that some who oppose this proposition have not given the Church this same courtesy.”

If they don't like that video, I'm sure they aren't going to be pleased by this front page post on DailyKos which reveals the Mormon Church has been planning an anti-gay marriage amendment since 1997 , especially when that website is probably receiving 1-2 million unique visits per day.

YES! I HAVE Already Voted! Vote Like ME

Woo hoo! I checked the website of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and my vote was recorded 11/1/2008.

The full list of what I voted for is here but here, again is the list of MadProfessah.com positions on the statewide propositions:

Proposition Number (Topic)       MadProfessah
1A (High Speed Train Bond)             YES
2 (Humane Farming)                     YES
3 (Children's Hospital Bond)           NO
4 (Teen Safety Initiative)             NO
5 (Non-Violent Drug Offenses)          YES
6 (Prison Expansion)                   NO
7 (Renewable Energy Expansion)         YES
8 (Eliminates Marriage Rights)         HELL NO
9 (Victim Rights Amendment)            NO
10 (Billionaire Renewable Energy Scam) NO
11 (Republican-Favored Re-districting) NO
12 (Veterans' Housing Bond)            YES

Obama Talks About Prop 8 With MTV

MTV Shows

WTA Tour Championships Begin; Jankovic Clinches #1

Jelena Jankovic has clinched the year-ending #1 spot on the WTA Tour regardless of who wins this week's Year End WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The draw for the event is here (pdf), with competitors being placed into two groups, where they play a round-robin and the top two finishers in each group go forward to the semi-finals.

WHITE GROUP
1. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
4. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)

MAROON GROUP
2. Dinara Safina (RUS)
3. Serena Williams (USA)
5. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
7. Venus Williams (USA)

Four Russians, two Serbians and two Williams! Venus and Serena are in the same half, which is actually a good thing, because the semifinals are #1 in Maroon group plays #2 in White group and #2 in Maroon group plays #1 in White group. If the sisters win both of their matches against Safina and Dementieva then the match they play against each other would be meaningless, and they would not be meeting in the semifinal, but possibly in the finals.

Eye Candy: David Williams

Kenneth in the 212 alerted me to this scaldingly hot picture of Australian model David Williams. (hat/tip Oh La La Mag)

27 Million Votes Already Cast, 100M To Go!

The Associated Press is reporting that there have been 27 million votes already cast (out of an estimated total of 125 million expected votes) and that Democrats have vastly outnumbered Republicans in early voting states.

Indeed, Election Day is becoming a misnomer. About 27 million absentee and early votes were cast in 30 states as of Saturday night, more than ever. Democrats outnumbered Republicans in pre-Election Day voting in key states.

That has Democrats — and even some Republicans — privately questioning whether McCain can overtake Obama, even if GOP loyalists turn out in droves on Tuesday. Obama may already have too big of a head start in critical states like Nevada and Iowa, which Bush won four years ago.

Previous polls have shown that Obama is leading by anywhere from 10 to 15 points among those who voted early this year.

Is My Vote Lost In The Mail?

MadProfessah voted by mail on Monday night, dropping off my ballot (and the other half's) at the El Sereno Post Office in Los Angeles on Tuesday October 28th. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's website at http://www.lavote.net/ shows his vote being received on October 30th, but it's November 2 and my vote has yet to be recorded! You can check the status of your Absentee Ballot here.

I heard the head of the county Registrar-Recorder's office, Dean Logan, say that if the lavote.net website does not show your vote being received by election day, go to your regular polling place and ask to vote a provisional ballot, so unless something changes on Monday, that's what I'll be doing on Tuesday!

STAY TUNED.

Viral Video On Why Parents Oppose Prop 8

LA TIMES harshly condemns Proposition 8

Sunday's Los Angeles Times harshly condemns the campaign to pass Proposition 8 in a strongly worded editorial repeating their endorsement of NO ON PROP 8:

Clever magicians practice the art of misdirection -- distracting the eyes of the audience to something attention-grabbing but irrelevant so that no one notices what the magician is really doing. Look over at that fuchsia scarf, up this sleeve, at anything besides the actual trick.

The campaign promoting Proposition 8, which proposes to amend the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages, has masterfully misdirected its audience, California voters. Look at the first-graders in San Francisco, attending their lesbian teacher's wedding! Look at Catholic Charities, halting its adoption services in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is legal! Look at the church that lost its tax exemption over gay marriage! Look at anything except what Proposition 8 is actually about: a group of people who are trying to impose on the state their belief that homosexuality is immoral and that gays and lesbians are not entitled to be treated equally under the law.

That truth would never sell in tolerant, live-and-let-live California, and so it has been hidden behind a series of misleading half-truths. Once the sleight of hand is revealed, though, the campaign's illusions fall away.

Take the story of Catholic Charities. The service arm of the Roman Catholic Church closed its adoption program in Massachusetts not because of the state's gay marriage law but because of a gay anti-discrimination law passed many years earlier. In fact, the charity had voluntarily placed older foster children in gay and lesbian households -- among those most willing to take hard-to-place children -- until the church hierarchy was alerted and demanded that adoptions conform to the church's religious teaching, which was in conflict with state law. The Proposition 8 campaign, funded in large part by Mormons who were urged to do so by their church, does not mention that the Mormon church's adoption arm in Massachusetts is still operating, even though it does not place children in gay and lesbian households.

How can this be? It's a matter of public accountability, not infringement on religion. Catholic Charities acted as a state contractor, receiving state and federal money to find homes for special-needs children who were wards of the state, and it faced the loss of public funding if it did not comply with the anti-discrimination law. In contrast, LDS (for Latter-day Saints) Family Services runs a private adoption service without public funding. Its work, and its ability to follow its religious teachings, have not been altered.

That San Francisco field trip? The children who attended the wedding had their parents' signed permission, as law requires. A year ago, with the same permission, they could have traveled to their teacher's domestic-partnership ceremony. Proposition 8 does not change the rules about what children are exposed to in school. The state Education Code does not allow schools to teach comprehensive sex education -- which includes instruction about marriage -- to children whose parents object.

Another "Yes on 8" canard is that the continuation of same-sex marriage will force churches and other religious groups to perform such marriages or face losing their tax-exempt status. Proponents point to a case in New Jersey, where a Methodist-based nonprofit owned seaside land that included a boardwalk pavilion. It obtained an exemption from state property tax for the land on the grounds that it was open for public use and access. Events such as weddings -- of any religion -- could be held in the pavilion by reservation. But when a lesbian couple sought to book the pavilion for a commitment ceremony, the nonprofit balked, saying this went against its religious beliefs.

The court ruled against the nonprofit, not because gay rights trump religious rights but because public land has to be open to everyone or it's not public. The ruling does not affect churches' religious tax exemptions or their freedom to marry whom they please on their private property, just as Catholic priests do not have to perform marriages for divorced people and Orthodox synagogues can refuse to provide space for the weddings of interfaith couples. And Proposition 8 has no bearing on the issue; note that the New Jersey case wasn't about a wedding ceremony.

Much has been made about same-sex marriage changing the traditional definition of marriage. But marriage has evolved for thousands of years, from polygamous structures in which brides were so much chattel to today's idealized love matches. In seeking to add a sentence to California's Constitution that says, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized," Proposition 8 supporters seek to enforce adherence to their own religious or personal definition. The traditional makeup of families has changed too, in ways that many religious people find immoral. Single parents raise their children; couples divorce and blend families. Yet same-sex marriage is the only departure from tradition that has been targeted for constitutional eradication.

Religions and their believers are free to define marriage as they please; they are free to consider homosexuality a sin. But they are not free to impose their definitions of morality on the state. Proposition 8 proponents know this, which is why they have misdirected the debate with highly colored illusions about homosexuals trying to take away the rights of religious Californians. Since May, when the state Supreme Court overturned a proposed ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, more than 16,000 devoted gay and lesbian couples have celebrated the creation of stable, loving households, of equal legal stature with other households. Their happiness in no way diminishes the rights or happiness of others.

Californians must cast a clear eye on Proposition 8's real intentions. It seeks to change the state Constitution in a rare and terrible way, to impose a single moral belief on everyone and to deprive a targeted group of people of civil rights that are now guaranteed. This is something that no Californian, of any religious belief, should accept. Vote no to the bigotry of Proposition 8.

Wow. Tell us what you really feel :-) No go and vote or volunteer to defeat Proposition 8.

Another Statistical Study Indicates LAPD Racial Profiling

Last Thursday's Los Angeles Times printed an op-ed by Yale Law Professor Ian Ayres that presents the details of a statistical analysis of more than 700,000 interactions between LAPD officers and pedestrians and motorists between June 2003 and June 2004. The results of the study were revealed at a press conference by the ACLU of Southern California on Monday.

We found persistent and statistically significant racial disparities in policing that raise grave concerns that African Americans and Latinos in Los Angeles are, as we put it in the report, "over-stopped, over-frisked, over-searched and over-arrested." After controlling for violent crime rates and property crime rates in specific neighborhoods, as well as a host of other variables, we found the following:

For every 10,000 residents, about 3,400 more black people are stopped than whites, and 360 more Latinos are stopped than whites. Stopped blacks are 127% more likely to be frisked -- and stopped Latinos are 43% more likely to be frisked -- than stopped whites.

Stopped blacks are 76% more likely to be searched, and stopped Latinos are 16% more likely to be searched than stopped whites.

Stopped blacks are 29% more likely to be arrested, and stopped Latinos are 32% more likely to be arrested than stopped whites.

Now consider this: Although stopped blacks were 127% more likely to be frisked than stopped whites, they were 42.3% less likely to be found with a weapon after they were frisked, 25% less likely to be found with drugs and 33% less likely to be found with other contraband. We found similar patterns for Latinos.

Not only did we find that African Americans and Latinos were subjected to more stops, frisks, searches and arrests than whites, we also found that these additional police actions aren't because of the fact that people of color live in higher-crime areas or because they more often carry drugs or weapons, or any other legitimate reason that we can discern from the rich set of data we examined.

The LAPD's response was typically weak. Police Chief Bill Bratton complained that the study used data that was more than four years old, but the LAPD itself has not made the latest data of its traffic stops available. Bratton also complained that the study hadn't considered the effect of the race of the officers involved. But Professor Ayres had a reply:

When testing for unjustified racial disparities in who is stopped by the police in cars and on the street, it's inappropriate to control for the race of either of the officers. The likelihood of being stopped, frisked or arrested shouldn't turn on whether a black, Latino or white officer was involved.

As an ancillary test -- after we'd calculated the general disparities -- we did look at the officers involved, and we found that the racial disparities in the likelihood of arrest were substantially lower when at least one of the stopping officers was the same race as the suspect.

For example, we found that the black arrest disparity was 9 percentage points lower when at least one of the stopping officers was black. Bratton should be troubled that there is less disparity when the officer is the same race as the person stopped, as that result adds credibility to the idea that the disparities in different-race interactions may be because of racial bias.

The Los Angeles Times editorial board noticed Bratton's smackdown and came to his rescue on Saturday, gingerly.

That being said, the LAPD does have a history of profiling, but it is in statistical denial of that fact. Not one of the 320 profiling complaints filed last year was validated by the department, nor were any of those filed in the five previous years. Blacks and Latinos are stopped and searched more frequently than whites, and few would deny the probability that some of those stops are unwarranted. After all, this is a relationship on the mend, not one that has fully healed.

The real problem seems to be that for all its efforts, the LAPD does not yet know how to detect and quantify disparate treatment. Ian Ayres, the professor who prepared the ACLU report, says he can help, and the department should take him up on his offer. The truth surely lies somewhere between the spotless image claimed by the department and the sullied one implied by the report.

Ball's in your court, Bill.

Tsonga Defeats Nallbandian For Paris Masters Title

23-year-old Black Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated defending Champion David Nalbandian of Argentina 6-3 4-6 6-4 in a tight final of the Paris ATP Masters Series tournament, clinching the final slot in the 8-man ATP Tour championships in Shanghai starting next Sunday. This was Tsonga's first ATP Masters Series final and he won it in the same year he lost his first major final at the Australian Open in Melbourne to Novak Djokovic. Since then, Tsonga has beaten Djokovic twice this year, including at this tournament. He also had to beat Andy Roddick and James Blake before dispatching the defending champion to become the first Frenchman to win this Masters series tournament since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001.

SurveyUSA Poll Shows PROP 8 Losing 50% No, 47% Yes

The latest SurveyUSA poll was released yesterday and shows a dramatic shift towards NO ON PROPOSITION 8, with a majority of voters now opposing the measure 50% with 47% favoring discrimination. Previously, the October 17th SurveyUSA poll showed Proposition 8 favored by 48% and opposed by 45% with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. The latest poll was conducted October 29-31 among 800 people, with 719 registered to vote and 673
being determined as having already voted or likely to vote. People who say they have already voted make up 42% of the sample.

Generally SurveyUSA is a horrible pollster, so I don't put much stock in this poll (or the three previous polls). I would lso note that the lead for the forces of equality is within the margin of error. However, it does feel better to be in the lead rather than behind!

Interestingly, the internals now show that the African-American vote is now tied at 45%-45% with 9% undecided (a very different picture from the 58% Yes-38% No which so excited conservative gay blogger Andrew Sullivan and who MadProfessah debunked a few weeks ago). Again, the sample size is 7% of the total and thus has a huge margin of error. According to SurveyUSA, the Latino community is now favoring Proposition 8 by a margin of 50% Yes to 46% No. They make up 22% of the latest sample. The API/"other" community now oppose Proposition 8 by a 20 point margin, 59% to 39% but they make up 12% of the sample.

Asian/Other (12%): 59% No, 39% Yes

Latino Voters (22%): 50% Yes, 46% No

Black Voters (7%): 45% No, 45%Yes

Smart People Oppose Prop 8

Some of the smartest people in the world work in Silicon Valley, at places like Google, Yahoo, Apple, Facebook and Cisco. Now comes word that the leaders of the technology revolution have joined together to oppose Proposition 8.

As Silicon Valley leaders, we are committed to equality and fairness. We are opposed to Proposition 8 because it would change our state constitution to take away rights from one group of people. It would set our state, and our country, back in the fight for fundamental fairness and equal rights.

Please join us by reaching out to friends and neighbors and asking them to stand for fairness: Vote No on Proposition 8 on November 4th.

Silicon Valley Leaders Say NO on Proposition 8
(titles are for identification purposes only)

HONORARY CO-CHAIRS
Sergey Brin, Founder, Google, Inc.
Bill Campbell, Chairman, Intuit Inc.
David Filo, Founder, Yahoo! Inc.
Chuck Geschke, Founder & Chairman, Adobe Systems, Inc.
John Morgridge, Former CEO & Chairman, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Pierre Omidyar, Founder and Chairman, eBay Inc., Founding Partner, Omidyar Network
Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook
Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google, Inc.
Jerry Yang, Founder, Yahoo! Inc.

LEADERS (partial list)
Deborah Barber, Principal, Jackson Hole Group
John Battelle, Chairman & CEO, Federated Media
Larry Birenbaum, Former Senior Vice President, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Lorna Borenstein, President, Move, Inc.
Larry Brilliant, Executive Director, Google.org
Owen Byrd, President, Byrd Development
John Chisholm, Chairman & CEO, CustomerSat, Inc.
Barry Cinnamon, CEO, Akeena Solar
Tod Cohen, Director of Government Affairs, eBay Inc.
LaDoris Cordell, Administrator, Stanford University
Sue Decker, President, Yahoo! Inc.
Jack Dorsey, Chairman, Twitter
David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development & Chief Legal Officer, Google, Inc.
Donna Dubinsky, CEO, Numenta, Inc.
Alan Eustace, SVP, Engineering and Research, Google, Inc.
Naomi Fine, President & CEO, Pro-Tec Data, Inc.
Rachel Glaser COO/CFO, Reunion.com
Carl Guardino, President & CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Andre Haddad, CEO, Shopping.com
Jeff Hawkins, co-Founder Palm, Handspring, and Numenta
David Karnstedt, Investor
Scott Kaspick, Managing Director, Kaspick & Co.
Steve Kirsch, Serial Entrepreneur
John Koza, CEO, Third Millennium
Ross LaJeunesse, Head of State Policy Western US, Google, Inc.
Gary Lauder, Managing Partner, Lauder Partners Venture Capital
Laura Lauder, General Partner, Lauder Partners Venture Capital
Len Lehman, Investor
John Luongo, Former CEO, Vantive Corporation
Roger McNamee, Managing Director & co-Founder, Elevation Partners
Ken McNeely, President, AT&T California
Michael Moritz, Partner, Sequoia Capital
Susan Packard Orr, CEO, Telosa Software, Inc.
Randy Pond, Executive Vice President, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Amy Rao, Founder & CEO, Integrated Archive Systems
Jana Rich, Managing Director, Russell Reynolds
Miriam Rivera, Former Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Google, Inc.
Dan Rosensweig, Investor
Dan Rubin, Partner, Alloy Ventures
Hilary Schneider, Executive Vice President US Region, Yahoo! Inc.
Len Shustek, Chairman, Computer History Museum
Jeff Skoll, Former President, eBay Inc.
Stephanie Tilenius, SVP, eBay North America
Joy Weiss, President & CEO, Dust Networks
Steve Westly, former California State Controller & former SVP eBay Inc.
Evan Williams, CEO, Twitter

Previously, Google and Apple had announced their official corporate opposition to Proposition 8, and donated money.

Obama Appears in Latest NO ON PROP 8 Ad

After yesterday's false advertisement by the heterosexual supremacist proponents of Proposition 8 implying that Barack Obama agreed with them, the Obama for America has authorized the NO ON PROP 8 campaign to include the Democratic Presidential candidate in their latest ad, which also features Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senator Dianne Feinstein.

It's quite strong, and includes the effective music in the background.

In addition, the NO ON PROP 8 campaign has announced that it has indeed raised 3 million dollars in 3 days as of November 1, and according to the Los Angeles Times the opponents of Proposition 8 have raised more money.

I think we're gonna win this thing!

Federer, Nadal Withdraw; Tsonga, Nalbandian in Paris Masters Final

David Nalbandian

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

At the Paris ATP Masters tournament top seeds Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer withdrew with injuries before their quarterfinal matchups with James Blake and Nikolay Davydenko, who both lost their semifinal matches to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and David Nalbandian. Federer's injury was a bad back, and Nadal was "sharp pain" in his knee. Nalbandian is the defending champion, and Tsonga, this year's Australian Open finalist, is in his first ATP Masters Series final, which happens to be in his hometown of Bercy, France. Tsonga took three hours to defeat Andy Roddick in his quarterfinal match 5-7 6-4 7-6(5) on Thursday. By defeating Blake, Tsonga dashed the American's chances of qualifying for the year-end tour championships in Shanghai in two weeks. Whoever wins the final on Saturday will clinch the eighth slot. The other qualifiers are:

1. Rafael Nadal
2. Roger Federer
3. Novak Djokovic
4. Andy Murray
5. Nikolay Davydenko
6. Andy Roddick
7. Juan Martin del Potro

Go Tsonga!

Bill Clinton Asks Millions Of California To Vote NO ON PROP 8

Got home on Friday night to a phone message on the machine from none other than William Jefferson Clinton, the most recent (before Tuesday!) Democrat elected President of the United States, urging a NO vote on Proposition 8:

"This is Bill Clinton calling to ask you to vote NO on Proposition 8 on Tuesday, November 4th. Proposition 8 would use state law to single out one group of Californians to be treated differently -- discriminating against members of our family, our friends and our co-workers.

"If I know one thing about California, I know that is not what you're about. That is not what America is about. Please vote NO on 8. It's unfair and it's wrong. Thank you."

That's pretty cool. In order to defeat Proposition 8, we will need Democratic voters to oppose it as vehemently as Republicans are passionately supporting it. "Big Dog's" robocall could make the difference.

Yes on 8 Sends Mailer To Black Voters with Obama's Image

Unsurprisingly, 4 days before the election the heterosexual supremacists behind Proposition 8 have stooped to outright deception to try to trick African Americans into supporting a constitutional amendment to eliminate fundamental rights for gay and lesbian couples. They have sent out a mailer featuring a picture of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama combined with quotes featuring Obama's opposition to marriage equality and implying that he supports a YES vote on Proposition 8.

Of course, this is simply a lie. Another misrepresentation of fact and outright lie by the proponents of Proposition 8 as they get more desperate to force their Mormon-inspired view of marriage upon all Californians. Obama has previously said:

"As the Democratic nominee for President, I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law...And that is why I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states. For too long, issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us. It's time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect. This is no less than a core issue about who we are as Democrats and as Americans.”

Tonight, in response to the mailer, the Obama campaign released the following statement:

"Senators Obama and Biden have made clear their commitment to fighting for equal rights for all Americans whether it's by granting LGBT Americans all the civil rights and benefits available to heterosexual couples, or repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell," said a statement issued by campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt. "Senator Obama has already announced that the Obama-Biden ticket opposes Proposition 8 and similar discriminatory constitutional amendments that could roll back the civil rights he and Senator Biden strongly believe should be afforded to all Americans."

Boo yah! From the NO ON PROP 8 website: http://www.noonprop8.com/obama

Anand Draws 11th Game To Retain World Chess Championship

Vishy Anand drew the 12th game of his 12-game match with Vladimir Kramnik, securing a championship match win by earning 6.5 points (+2) to the challenger's 4.5. Anand was the reigning World Champion, having won the title by winning the World Championship Tournament in 2007. However, in chess when a champion loses the title, they generally get a chance to win the title back, so basically if a challenger wins they have to beat the former champion in two consecutive matches. Anand has done that and is guaranteed to own the title of World Chess Champion until at least late 2009.