BBC News gets it, AFP gets it...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060605/pl_afp/uspoliticsgay_060605202413;_ylt=AvfSI4oEIW4.fXNGVJkZVD5dlakA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

"US Republican majority uses symbols to woo its base

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Five months before a congressional election that may prove difficult for Republicans, the party of President George W. Bush has decided to move to the forefront an issue dear to its conservative base: a gay marriage ban.

Congress has many burning issues on its agenda: it has to unblock emergency funds for Iraq and Afghanistan, adopt a budget, ratify a nuclear deal with India and encourage construction of refineries to lower painfully high gas prices.

But instead, senators will return Monday, after spending a week with their constituents, to hold a debate on a single issue: a ban on gay marriage."

Iwas just watching BBC News, and the correspondent said something similar, to the effect that Congress has more important issues like Iraq and gas prices.

Good for them!

If we're talking about the war in Iraq or tax cuts for the rich or failed energy policies or budget busting deficits or the national debt, Republicans lose.

The answer is change the subject to something that divides people. Gay marriage or abortion or both are good weapons to utilize against Democrats.

Because of the two-party nature of American politics, the positions often become binary. You either support "family values" or are against "family values." This would never work in a multi-party representative democracy, but it works very well in the US.

This is why our Australian or European neighbors look at us in amazement as we tear ourselves apart over gay marriage when GWB is trying to provoke the next world war with Iran.