Eleanor Clift: Playing the Culture Card

John at AmericaBlog points us to a particularly insightful Eleanor Clift column in this Newsweek:

Republicans couldn't even muster a simple majority for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but that didn't stop the GOP-controlled Senate from devoting the better part of a week to the dangers posed by recognizing same-sex unions as legitimate marriages.

A waste of time, yes, but a valuable lesson for the American voter because of what it tells us about the modern Republican Party. The greatest threat to marriage is not Adam and Steve or Heather having two mommies. It’s economic stress. Not having health insurance, getting laid off from your job, falling behind on your rent or mortgage, that’s what shakes marriage and leads to divorce, not gay marriage.

The GOP’s unwillingness or inability to address the economic concerns of ordinary Americans is why it falls back on divisive social issues. The dividing line between the conservative red states and the more liberal blue states is all about cultural concerns. Americans cast their votes for the candidate who “shares my values,” which is why blue-collar workers in economically depressed regions who should be Democrats vote Republican.