well consider this.
while some people always consider their own priorities first, it's only their interests they're protecting, and if there's enough, it's basically the most popular issues.
This is why the American system is broke. It's not quite like this in other democracies.
We have two parties, which really only stress their differences on a few different points each election.
Were it not like this, you could let people advocate for their rights (if they didn't have them already) while still being allowed to focus on other issues. I mean right now if you want to advocate/vote for Gay Rights you're going to be in the democratic party if you want to make a difference. And that means that both:
1. You have to accept their values in unrelated areas.
2. They have to take a chunk of unrelated party members time to work on these issues.
if people didn't aggressively go after their own issues, no one would. the system basically acts like basically making sure the most contended topic is the one dealt with.
I think there's enough
momentum that eventually most of the states will legalize same-love marriage. The problem is that "having it legallized eventually" just isn't good enough. Sure it's always been illegal, for the 250 or so years this countries been around, but now, now it's the single most important issue, despite high unemployment rates, inflation, a healthcare system that was implemented badly.
as it stands, far more people consider the economic issues above social justice issues, but they're just not as vocal and up front about it.
to clarify: if everyone was as selfish as possible about their own issues, in a way, it'd work out perfectly since the largest issues would satisfy the most people.
I don't think it's far more people though. I think it's basically white men who have the burden of caring about the economy and government outside of this handful of issues.
I'll have to find where I read this, but about %40 of women consider abortion to be the single most important issue.
Of LGBT people their issues are far more likely to place first.
The "everyone being selfish" thing doesn't work in a
representative democracy though. Especially a bipartisan one like ours. It might work in a pure democracy, but in one as inefficient as ours you have to make choices, priorities and sacrifices.