A time for (big, gay) fear

The obvious: Republican candidates are betting a lot that stoking anti-gay sentiment will pay off this November.

The right: James Dobson's Focus on the Family has taken out radio and print ads in 13 states, claiming that 16 senators do not "believe that every child needs a mom and dad." But of the group Dobson has targeted, most of them are not up for reelection this year and six of the senators are Republicans, including popular stalwarts like New Hampshire's John Sununu and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter. A separate ad in USA Today, paid for by Dobson's group and its ally, the Family Research Council, attacked both Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain for opposing the amendment.

The left: (new press release from Harry Reid)

So for me it is clear the reason for this debate is to divide our society, to pit one against another. This is another one of the President's efforts to frighten, to distort, to distract, and to confuse America. It is this Administration's way of avoiding the tough, real problems that American citizens are confronted with each and every day:

High Gas Prices.

The War in Iraq.

The National Debt.

Health Care.

Senior Citizens.

Education.

Crime.

Trade Policy.

Stem Cell Research.

Each issue begging the President's attention, each issue being ignored -- valuable time in the Senate spent on an issue that today is without hope of passing.

But the Salon article I'm linking to (and source of the Dobson bit) argues that it isn't going to pay off this time around. I'm not sure I'd go that far at this point, but compared to 2004, people aren't inclined to give Republicans the benefit of the doubt on Iraq or terror anymore, even with the added 'incentive' of discrimination. And certainly in the long-term, this is a non-issue for the GOP. All that remains to be seen is how much more mileage they can squeeze out before it becomes a total embarrassment to them.