Equality California has a very effective ad up that calls on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign the Marriage Equality Act, the historic first-ever bill legalizing gay marriage to be passed a state legislature.
Schwarzenegger is tanking in the polls. His only remaining support comes from the hard right, so the chances are slim he will make history by signing the bill, even though he is liberal on gay rights.
The ad goes after the governor where he lives by aligning signing the act with the groundbreaking Civil Rights records of President John Kennedy and Sen. Robert Kennedy, his uncles by marriage to Maria Shriver. The ad also associates vetoing the bill with George Wallace, the late governor of Alabama, who was a segregationist icon and vocal opponent of Civil Rights.
Here’s the script:
(Voice Over) Those who have made America great are the ones who have brought America together – who have stood for fairness and against discrimination.
Now Governor Schwarzenegger will make a decision for which he will forever be remembered.
He can stand up for the basic rights of all Californians and sign the Marriage Equality Act.
Or he can stand with the forces of discrimination.
Governor, the choice is yours.
Text in the final frame addresses Schwarzenegger’s former career as an action movie star: “Governor, Be a Hero.”
