This is a bizarre bit of TV, sure to make the Religious Right lose its collective mind:
It’s not that they’re actually supportive. It’s full of Glenn Beck’s wingnut stuff about the country “burning down,” and Bill O’Reilly’s moralistic mewling about some bullroar or another, but here’s the key passage in O’Reilly and Beck’s intercourse [grin] on the subject, via Media Matters:
O’REILLY: But let’s take the gay marriage deal. Big ruling in California. You really didn’t cover that much, right?
BECK: Nope.
O’REILLY: Why?
BECK: Because honestly I think we have bigger fish to fry. You can argue about abortion or gay marriage or whatever —
O’REILLY: Yeah.
BECK: — all you want.
O’REILLY: Yeah.
BECK: The country is burning down. I personally think these–
O’REILLY: But isn’t that one of the reasons because we are getting away from the traditional way we used to live into this progressive–
BECK: So let’s get back to — instead of arguing about these divisive things, let’s get back into our churches and our synagogues and–
O’REILLY: You’re not going to get people going back unless there is a reason to go back.
BECK: But here is the reason, America. Your country is burning down. I don’t think marriage, that the government actually has anything to do with –
O’REILLY: But they do have.
BECK: –what is a religious right.
O’REILLY: I know, but they do have something to do, because gay marriage is going to be a reality in this country in 10 years.
BECK: Why do they have anything to do with it?
O’REILLY: Because they choose to, and you’re not going to stop ’em.
BECK: This is where we disagree.
O’REILLY: The Supreme Court may rule against gay marriage, very possible it would be a 5-4.
BECK: You’re willing to continue to go down the road of just accepting well that’s the way it is.
O’REILLY: I’m not accepting anything. I wrote a book about it! Don’t give me this “accepting.” Come on.
BECK: He’s so hostile.
O’REILLY: Yeah
BECK: Need a little Jesus?
O’REILLY: I have to correct you. I do. You are ignoring the profound change in the American family. In the way —
BECK: No, I’m not. No I’m not.
O’REILLY: But you are not covering it?
BECK: Because I think that the thing that needs to be covered — Bill, I believe in a symphony. If we are all playing clarinets we ain’t gonna get very far. A symphony needs to sound. I’m covering what I cover. You cover what you cover. Both of us are saying the same thing. Watch the culture.
O’REILLY: Do you believe — do you believe that gay marriage is a threat to the country in any way?
BECK: A threat to the country?
O’REILLY: Yeah, it going to harm the country?
BECK: No, I don’t. Will the gays come and get us?
O’REILLY: OK. Is it going to harm the country in any way?
BECK: I believe — I believe what Thomas Jefferson said. If it neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket, what difference is it to me?
O’REILLY: OK, so you don’t. That’s interesting. Because I don’t think a lot of people understand that about you.
BECK: As long as we — as long as we are not going down the road of Canada, where it now is a problem for churches to have free speech. If they can still say, hey, we —
O’REILLY: Oppose it —
BECK: — we oppose it —
O’REILLY: Right.
BECK: — but we’re not trying to kill anybody or trying to —
O’REILLY: In Sweden they have that too. OK, so gay marriage to you, not a big a threat to the nation.
Huh. That’s bound to make Maggie Gallagher roar.
Also: tipping point, tipping point, tipping point.
