Why Carrie Prejean May Not Be an Effective Spokeswoman for the Anti-Gay-Marriage Cause

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

It's fair to say that, at the moment, Miss California is the anti-gay-marriage movement's most high-profile spokesperson. There is no one talking more about the issue on national TV right now than Carrie Prejean. And she's starring in a new ad that opposes gay marriage, now airing in a half-dozen states. She unveiled it yesterday at a news conference at the National Press Club.

If Prejean wasn't a spokeswoman for the movement a week ago, she is now. But is she effective?

Watching Prejean's appearance last night on Greta Van Susteren's show (above), I'm not so sure. Greta isn't exactly an antagonistic interviewer with conservative guests, but Prejean can't answer basic questions about whether she supports gay civil unions or gay adoption.

And when Van Susteren asks her "what kind of rights that you think that a man and woman should have that maybe two men, two women, shouldn't have," Prejean comes up empty: "Well, I'm not a politician, so I can't give you an answer to that."

A politician, no. But a spokeswoman for a cause that has major implications regardless of where you stand, yes. Might someone from the conservative side of the marriage debate want to brief her on the issue?

Here's the transcript excerpt from Greta's frustrating back and forth with Prejean:

VAN SUSTEREN: What is your thought on civil unions?

PREJEAN: My thought on civil unions? You know what, Greta? I don't have the answers to everything. I'm not running for political office. I don't have the answers to everything, you know, in the world out there.

But I think that there should be rights for people, you know, especially in California. I think that people that are homosexual should have some rights, you know, hospital rights, and things like that.

But I would like to be more educated on that, so when I do have a better answer for you, I will get back to you on that one.

But so far I just support traditional marriage, and that's my main focus.

VAN SUSTEREN: What about adoption?

PREJEAN: Greta, I am focusing on marriage right now, not adoption, not civil unions, just traditional marriage, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to promote that.

VAN SUSTEREN: I understand, and I understand your position on traditional marriage. I'm just sort of trying to figure out where you draw the line in terms of what kind of rights that you think that a man and woman should have that maybe two men, two women, shouldn't have.

And that's why I was asking the question on civil unions and adoptions. I was just trying to sort it out for myself what you think.

PREJEAN: Well, I'm not a politician, so I can't give you an answer to that.

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