[skeeter]

Thats why the GOP needs to present their positions in the macro, from the top down and in the most common denominator, not the bottom up.

The right cannot compete without providing a context for their positions - if the issues are framed as 'the GOP wants to throw PFC Steve out of the military because of who he loves' we'll lose every time.

IMO Santorum's answer was as good as he could've given.

[Notary Sojac]

if the issues are framed as 'the GOP wants to throw PFC Steve out of the military because of who he loves' we'll lose every time.

Look at this thread and most other FR threads tagged as "Homosexual Agenda".

What you'll see is a lot of freepers saying in effect "Yes, damn right I want to throw PFC Steve out of the military because he has anal sex with other men!" and those freepers will view any candidate's position short of that as a contemptible compromise.

Is "Yes, damn right I want to throw PFC Steve out of the military because he has anal sex with other men!" a stand that will win the November 2012 election? I confess I do not know.