You've got to give 'em hope.

I'm thankful that Massachusetts was spared the public-relations battle over marriage equality that's currently raging in California, where polls show the anti-gay constitutional amendment somehow perilously close to passing on November 4. Although I'll be affected by the outcome in CA, whatever it ends up being, I'm glad that I'm not being pummeled with anti-gay ads in my home state. For that I must once again tip my hat to Governor Patrick, who risked his new political capital to help squash our constitutional amendment in 2007. Whatever else he does or does not accomplish during his time in office, I'll always be in his debt for that.