Reality TV? DOJ? It's all the same in NOM's bizarre game

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02/12/2014

by Jeremy Hooper

Q. How ridiculous has the ever-failing National Organization For Marriage become?

A. Ridiculous enough to compare US Attorney General Eric Holder's fair implementation of federal marriage rights, protections, and benefits to a situation involving a reality TV star who made racially insensitive and anti-gay comments during a promotional interview.

This comes from NOM's latest fundraising beg, which is themed around the AG's recent directives on behalf of married same-sex couples:

But we can fight back! Remember just a few short weeks ago, when Phil Robertson was suspended by the A&E network for speaking out about his Biblical beliefs? The network gave into these same lobbyists. But the public outcry over their decision was incredible — many of you personally contributed to that incredible victory — and as pressure mounted A&E was forced to reinstate Mr. Robertson.

This is what we must be doing — creating a grassroots uprising of ordinary citizens like you and me who are willing to stand up and say: enough is enough! You and I must demand that the rule of law be respected. You and I must demand that our voices and values be heard!
FULL: Enough is Enough! [NOM]

To me, this really shows how much of a whole game this is to NOM. On our side, we are talking about tangible rights that protect our families, and we are applauding officials like AG Holder for making strides to ensuring that more American taxpayers obtain the protections they deserve. It's about our lives. Our spouses. Our children. Our everything.

But on NOM's side? It's all about scoring points, raising cash, and "winning" silly (non-)victories. That kind of mentality is ingrained in the NOM DNA. It's why they work to end the careers of politicians even when doing so will do nothing to change the state's marriage laws, why they try to boycott companies who stand for marriage equality, why they promote causes like Chick-fil-a and Phil Robertson, why they operate in desperate search of something they can press release that might make them look tough, and why they apparently feel like they can roll back the fair application of high court rulings if they simply rise up and rage. NOM doesn't have any real, day-to-day, life-impacting dog in this hunt. This is all some sort of odd grudge match for NOM and its president.

Enough is, in fact, enough.

**RELATED: A mutual acquaintance actually told me that Maggie Gallagher feels similarly to me about Brian Brown and his "in it for the cheap victory" view. I wrote a lengthy post about it; you can find that here.

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