Perry v. Schwarzenegger: How Will The GOP Respond?

Ed Kilgore flags the above ad:

The very day after Judge Walker's decision, Georgia GOP gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal, locked in a nasty cage-match runoff fight with Karen Handel, launched a new ad blasting his rival for alleged friendliness to gays and lesbians. Those unaccustomed to the current tone of Republican politics in the South may be shocked at the unabashed homophobia in the ad, which brings back memories of the late Jesse Helms. In fact, it's a theme Deal has been hitting for some time, and I'm sure the ad was in the can before word came out of San Francisco about the judge's ruling. But if he indeed makes this his signature attack line in the final push towards next Tuesday's runoff, it's probably because Perry v. Schwarzenegger has again made the specter of "activist judges" supporting the "homosexual agenda" a lively concern among conservative Republicans..

Whatever happens in Georgia--where Sarah Palin is riding into town the day before the runoff to campaign with Handel--a renewed focus on fighting marriage equality will have a long-term effect on the nature and appeal of the GOP.

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