[Varriount]

I do agree that the hyperbole often seem in the media ("the most important decision", etc.) is quite ridiculous. That being said, keep in mind the assumptions you make when thinking long-term.

For example, I've had it argued to me that that homosexual individuals shouldn't be allowed civil unions, as doing so would lead to the bankruptcy of the federal government. The "long-term thinking" here was that allowing unions between homosexual individuals would, at some future point, lead to allowing unions between polygamous groups*, which would then lead to people joining in unions for tax purposes, which would then lead to a disruptive loss of income for the government.