Back in March, Maggie Gallagher wrote a column attacking the idea that marriage equality could be a way to foster economic growth for states and today she was the guest on "Wallbuilders Live" to discuss it.
To kick things off, hosts David Barton and Rick Green mocked the idea, calling it "wacko on steroids" while Barton, of all people, demanded that we be "logical" about this before asserting that the Disney corporation lost money year after year when it supported gay rights and, once it reversed course, became profitable:
Barton: So everything is about economics now and suddenly you get this really ... I don't know what say ...
Green: Wacko is the only way ...
Barton: No, I am looking for something stronger than wacko - wacko on steroids - I mean there are some terms that come to mind, but you've got this proposal that says 'hey, we've got economic problems and here's part of the economic development solution and that's promoting gay marriage.' Wait a minute, run that by me again?
Green: I don't even know how to respond to that.
Barton: States are proposing this ... It doesn't pass the smell test. It sure doesn't pass the logic test. And I hate to say this, but let's be logical for a minute. Let's just look at what works.
Why don't they think about asking Disney how well promoting gay stuff helped their economics. You remember Disney, when they were being boycotted for doing all the gay stuff people stopped going there, they didn't want to be a part of that. And so while every other entertainment venue in the country was making money, Disney went fifteen out of sixteen quarters, as I recall, losing money. Finally got rid of [Michael] Esiner, got the whole philosophy turned around and now they're making money again.
Then Green interviewed Gallagher, who claimed that marriage equality advocates are so accustomed to "getting a pass" from the media that they can now just make absurd and embarrassing arguments before going on to assert that she does not believe national polls showing that a majority of Americans support marriage equality, saying instead that people are just being intimidated into saying they support it:
Gallagher: It's just an absurd argument for someone to make. Gay marriage advocates are just getting so used to getting a pass in the mainstream media from any kind of rational scrutiny, it's just embarrassing to go out in public and make a claim like this. I don't really understand how they think they can get away with it.
...
So I don't believe those polls. One of the things that's happening is that people are afraid to say what they really think about marriage, which is kind of extraordinary. That's power of a kind, but they are not persuading people; they are trying to shut down this debate.
