Actually, the idea that allowing gay couples will cost the economy more money if they are married is a myth. They won't. Many already are contributing throught their labor and wealth, more than they are consuming.

I do think there is a small religiously oriented group in the US that is opposed to gay and lesbian lifestyles, that feel that no matter what the argument, it won't dispossess them of their religious beliefs about the community of gay and lesbian people. So you just won't ever reach them and change their minds. But that is an extremely small segment of American society.

The majority of Americans will not want the right wing religious fundamentalists dictating the terms of marriage to them with a constitutional amendment, because they know how binding those amendments are in the US. Although other democracies do amend and rescind amendments to their constitutions a bit more readily than the US does, amending constitutions of Western democracies is always a contentious and arduous process. And according to the Pew polls, the majority of Americans simply won't do it on this issue. Out of a list of 25 issues the polled people about (ie the economy, jobs, NAFTA, etc) gay marriage was 24th out of 25, according to the Globe article.

So this really is a non-issue to Americans. However, it is damn sexy for the media and what is beginning to be a real yawner of a political season.