Gays in California. . .

. . .and across America are celebrating today as social conservatives lament the California Supreme Court's decision to strike down the ban on same-sex marriage. The say the very least, these are tough times to be a social conservative. They face dwindling influence in Congress as Democrats look forward to bigger majorities this fall, and the fact that there are no candidates running for the White House who support the Marriage Protection Amendment. Even the Constitution Party, considered a refuge for disenchanted conservatives looking to send a message to the GOP, opposes amending the U.S. Constitution to define marriage. And, finally, there's the fact that, as of December 2007, a majority of Americans favor the recognition of civil unions with legal rights similar to those afforded to traditional married couples.

As all this plays out, the religious right, which still wields considerable influence within the conservative movement, must be asking itself some very serious questions about the tactical and strategic wisdom of placing so much of its lot in elections at the federal level. Clearly, the future of the Marriage Protection Amendment has never been so bleak. So, perhaps the time has come for the Christian Coalition and its affiliated groups to place a much greater emphasis on action at the state level in hopes of having an impact from the ground up.