The Republicans hate us. But will that be enough this time?

I got into a bloody battle the other day with some idiot on a blog who was pissing and moaning about the California Supreme Court's ruling that prohibiting lesbians and gay men from marrying was a violation of the state's constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law.

It's coming at a bad time, he said. He was afraid that having that issue in the news, and a constitutional amendment designed to strip that right away on the ballot, would drive right wingers to the polls and cost us the White House in November.

Of course, he's not insane; that Rovian strategy did in fact work quite well for the Republicans four years ago, and four years before that. And yes, it might work again, although I'm thinking, at least in California, it won't.

But whether I'm right or wrong about that, one thing I do know: anyone queer with a television or Internet access is going to have a few rough months, at least as far as political ads and punditry go. It's gays, guns, and God, and there are people who sincerely believe the last on that list wants them use the second on the first. And this hostility towards us and our civil rights is going to continue to feed the gaping maw of the sensationalism-hungry cable news monster.

It's already happening. I once thought using the term "San Francisco" as code for "gay" was a dogwhistle, but this series of ads for Republican Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) — who once called George W. Bush a "deep thinker" — against Democratic challenger and former Kansas City, MO, mayor Kay Barnes proved me wrong. You don't need better-than-human hearing to hear this loud and clear:

So, while that's going on in the heartland, we've got our "friends" suggesting we sit back and be quiet again — a strategy that has worked so very well in the last two elections for the Dems. Will the media call out the right for using us, as they always have, to galvanize anti-gay voters to come out and support the Republican candidate? Or will they just take the money for running the ads and snicker a little about "gay marriage"?

With all this on my mind, it was with considerable interest that I dialed into a conference call with LGBT bloggers and activists, set up by the Obama campaign, on Friday. This one was mostly a post-primary unity-fest, featuring ex-Human Rights Campaign head Elizabeth Birch and current HRC head Joe Solmonese (calling in from the AIDS Ride, peddling from LA to San Francisco), along with gay political strategist David Mixner and Chair of Obama’s National LGBT Policy Committee, gay civil rights attorney and law professor Tobias Wolff.

David Mixner (Photo: Chris Ramirez forThe New York Times)

Beyond the "unity" message, not a lot got said, and not one word about the Dems' plans on how to include LGBT issues in their platform, nor their rather noted reluctance to support our equality, nor how they're going to deal with media and advertising that target our community... and yes, I asked, in an email submitted prior to the call in response to a solicitation for questions.

Steve Hildebrand, who is gay and serves as Deputy Campaign Manager for Obama for America, promised another call in two weeks, this one with Barack Obama, so maybe then we'll get a better idea about what's in store.

It's not like the Democrats haven't been thinking about this. Obama's campaign released this statement recognizing June as LGBT Pride month and mentioning our issues as being among those usually used to divide rather than unite us:

“I am proud to join with our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered brothers and sisters in celebrating the accomplishments, the lives, and the families of all LGBT people during this Pride season. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans.”

“It’s time to live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect. Let’s enact federal civil rights legislation to outlaw hate crimes and protect workers against discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Let’s repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and demonstrate that the most effective and professional military in the world is open to all Americans who are ready and willing to serve our country. Let’s treat the relationships and the families of LGBT Americans with full equality under the law.”

“We are ready to accomplish these goals because of the courage and persistence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people who have are working every day to achieve equal rights. The gay couple who demand equal treatment in our family laws as they raise their children; the lesbian soldier who wants nothing more than to serve her country openly and honestly; the transgendered workers who asks for the simple dignity of being judged by the quality of their work. Generations of LGBT Americans, at once ordinary and extraordinary, have made possible this moment in our history. With leadership and hard work, we can fulfill the promise of equality for all.”

So, will things be different this year? Will an unpopular war, rising gas costs, and a faltering economy shift the focus from the gays, or will we still be the right's best fundraising and PR tool? Stay tuned.