Will gay marriage be a major issue in the 2008 presidential election?

[Stranger in a strange land]

In 2004, many were surprised by the degree of backlash against gay marriage. It may indeed have been the final nail in the coffin of the kerry campaign. Across the country, voters turned out to vote for Republicans because they percieved them to be superior on "moral values."

In 2006 however, gay marriage was a minor issue, and in Arizona, an anti-gay marriage ballot initiative actually failed. In Virginia, the gay marriage referendum was supposed to be George Allen's insurance policy, and we all know how that turned out.

In 2006, the Foley Scandal neutralized the GOP's ability to use gay panic to scare up votes. Also, the war in Iraq was widely seen as a failure and Bush's approval ratings had plummeted to below 30%, whereas in 2004 the economy was fairly good, the War in Iraq was seen as a success or at least "worth it" by most people, so people felt free to vote based on moral issues.

However, California legalized gay marriage this year. While that will have no actual implications outside of that state, as the judges arrived at their decision using the California consitution, the conservative bogeymen of activist judges and radical gay activists might again be used to motivate social conservatives to vote. However, gay marriage isn't seen as extreme or out there as it was in the 90s and early 2000s. So I ask, will gay marriage be a major issue in this campaign?

[Stranger in a strange land]

VB: What would I say to a gay Christian?  I would say, stop sinning.  Everyone struggles with sin, some more than others, but indulging in sodomy is a choice, just as being angry is a choice, eating to excess is a choice, and hitting someone is a choice.

if homosexuality is a choice, why would somebody choose to be thrown out of their home at age 15? Why would somebody choose to have awkward conversations with relatives about a girlfriend who doesn't exist? Why would somebody choose to face the wrath and anger of their entire community? Why would somebody choose to be singled out for beatings and ridicule?