Iowa May Turn G.O.P.’s Focus to "Social Issues" a/k/a Gay Bashing

As the New York Times reports, evangelical Christians - this country's version of the Taliban - who dominate in GOP primaries since the party is increasingly a sectarian party, are pushing whore like would be presidential candidates to see who can out do the others in terms of open anti-gay animus. Currently, Iowa Christianists (some are pictured at left) are getting special attention and the gay bashing is intense. The bigotry runs the gamut from Haley Barbour saying that amorous gay soldiers will stop the military from killing "bad guys," to thrice married serial adulterer Newt Gingrich promising to "slow down the gay agenda" - apparently in between his adulterous affairs -, and the always hate-filled aw shucks theocrat Mike Huckabee telling moronic listeners to "fight gay marriage even if it costs you your job." Right Wing Watch has video clips of all the "Christian love." Millions of Americans are unemployed, the nation's infrastructure is falling apart, and the nation is in economic and competitive decline, and all these haters worry about is making gays third class citizens or worse. These folks give the term ignorant Bible beaters a whole new meaning. Here are highlights from the Times story:
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Here in Iowa, whose caucuses next winter will open the campaign, social and religious conservatives are pressing the likely candidates on issues like same-sex marriage and abortion rather than on jobs, the budget deficit and other economic concerns that leaders of both parties expect to dominate the general election.

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[S]ome Republicans say, it could muddle the party’s message as it seeks to defeat President Obama. “We look like Camp Christian out here,” said Doug Gross, a Republican activist and former nominee for governor. “If Iowa becomes some extraneous right-wing outpost, you have to question whether it is going to be a good place to vet your presidential candidates.”

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While social conservatives have long wielded a greater influence in Iowa than in many early-voting states, a bitter fight here over same-sex marriage and rivalries among some of the state’s conservative leaders have amplified the issues and might help define the message of Republican candidates in ways that could resonate nationally.

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No events have focused solely on the economy, job creation or even the health care law that is widely reviled among Republicans. Instead, the most prominent platforms for candidates to introduce themselves have been a number of forums — three last week alone — before socially conservative audiences in Iowa.

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For Republican candidates, social conservatives have the only established political structure in Iowa, with churches, home-schooling groups and a variety of competing organizations providing ready-made lists of voters. There is no comparable network for fiscal-minded or moderate Republicans.

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The Iowa Straw Poll, the political carnival in Ames that provides an early test of support, is only five months away, leaving little time for campaigns to build their organizations. That makes the existing network of social conservative groups even more important.

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As scary as the nutters may be in Iowa, the good news is that they may help skew the GOP field so far to the right that the chance of a GOP victory in 2012 will be all but impossible. If that happens, it will be a just reward for the GOP which sold out principle and the separation of church and state for short term victories.