The 2012 elections will be about returning America to 1) fiscally conservative principles (balancing the budget, reducing wasteful spending, dialing back on ‘entitlement’ programs, etc.) and 2) economically conservative principles such as removing the business damaging regulation brought about by Obama, Pelosi and Reid (such as the DoJ, FDA, HHS, EPA and NLRB).  

These two goals are tough enough and we don’t need to burn valuable energy on topics that are non sequiturs.  I have warned before that conservatives should remained focused on the issues at hand and not take the bait of the Left to pursue red herring arguments that don’t contribute to the main problems currently facing America.

Sadly, Rick Santorum didn’t take my advice and his insistence on talking about social conservative issues is the reason I believe he’ll lose to Obama in a general election if he gets the Republican nomination.  Focusing on social conservative issues will not play well with independents and some right leaning Democrats and we will need those votes in November to defeat Obama.

Now we see that state Republican leaders in New Hampshire are taking the bait of the Left.  New Hampshire passed a gay marriage law two years ago when the state Legislature was controlled by Democrats and now that the Republicans are in control they have set repeal of this law as a priority.  From the NPR article:

“Supporters of New Hampshire’s 2-year-old same-sex marriage law like to stress its purity, that it was enacted without a court order or the threat of one. So do its opponents. For them it’s a reminder that if a Democrat-dominated Statehouse could vote in gay marriage, a Republican-dominated one may be able to vote it out.

Republican state Rep. David Bates, the author of the repeal bill, led a recent rally on the Statehouse steps.

“I think it’s time to move back, back to the true meaning of marriage,” Bates said.”

I’m amazed why Gay Marriage is even an issue for Conservatives in 2012.  I am a conservative Christian who is married to a wonderful woman and I don’t understand the same-sex attraction that others have.  But I am strongly in favor of allowing Civil Unions for adult homosexual partners and I have come to that conclusion based on my Libertarian views on social issues and not based on my Christian views and interpretation of Scripture.

What harm is there in two consenting adults entering into a mutually beneficial relationship?  If that is what they want then why should our government prevent that?  Providing same-sex couples the legally binding stamp of “marriage” gives them legal rights later in life (making medical decisions for their spouse, caring for their estate, 401k beneficiaries, etc.) and that seems like the right thing to do.  I’m not saying that we should force churches to officiate these marriages if homosexuality goes against the church’s religious beliefs but what is the problem with allowing same sex partners to marry legally in a Justice of the Peace or other civil ceremony?

Even if you don’t believe as I do – Is repealing Gay Marriage really something that is top on our list of “problems” to solve in 2012?  It’s just silly for Conservatives to waste limited energy making this issue into some sort of Maginot Line that conservatives must defend at all cost.   If we continue to focus on these diversionary topics then we’ll lose the narrative of the 2012 Elections and lose big to Obama.