In an effort to defuse any potential flames that may arise from a hot-button issue like gay marriage let me replace your example with "social issues".
You argue that financial regulation is important (and it is) but the problem with your statement is that the economy is all-important. I'm not going to argue that it isn't, rather I am merely goung to point out that people have very different ideas about what government is for.
For some there are many social issues that Are important to society as a whole. One could argue that freedom of religion is an unproductive distraction.
One can argue that we shouldn't legislate morality, which many clearly try to do, but we do that in many ways. Theft, murder, etc are all morality when it comes down to it.
If you approach democracy by saying "these people are irrational because issue X doesn't matter to the economy" you're not making any useful observation. In fact, it's a bit like arguing that the problem with democracy is that you don't get the outcome you want.
You argue that financial regulation is important (and it is) but the problem with your statement is that the economy is all-important. I'm not going to argue that it isn't, rather I am merely goung to point out that people have very different ideas about what government is for.
For some there are many social issues that Are important to society as a whole. One could argue that freedom of religion is an unproductive distraction.
One can argue that we shouldn't legislate morality, which many clearly try to do, but we do that in many ways. Theft, murder, etc are all morality when it comes down to it.
If you approach democracy by saying "these people are irrational because issue X doesn't matter to the economy" you're not making any useful observation. In fact, it's a bit like arguing that the problem with democracy is that you don't get the outcome you want.