This priceless quote is from the Governor of Massachusetts :

"“We want a vote that goes the right way, that keeps us off the ballot,”  -Governor Deval Patrick via National Review

     The vote in question is a vote by the Massachusetts legislature to allow the People of Massachusetts a public vote on a marriage amendment. Specifically:

"“When recognizing marriages entered into after the adoption of this amendment by the people, the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall define marriage only as the union of one man and one woman.”

     This amendment needs 50 votes out of 200 to make it onto a public ballot. This seems to terrify Governor Patrick.

     He seems distressed that some folks don't realize that public officials are the only arbiters of "democracy" and that the People should just shut up and pay their taxes quietly while he plans out his social engineering policy.

     I support gay marriage but I support the right of the Public to vote on state constitutional matters even more strongly. What exactly is the Governor afraid of here? That the People might not match his view of Massachusetts demographics?

"We have always been at war with Eurasia."