Although it may seem obvious now to many that there are few votes to be won by loudly opposing marriage equality, it was less than twenty years ago when a Democrat, and allegedly pro-LGBT President signed DOMA and less than twenty years before that the first out gay politician in the U.S. was elected. It has been difficult for the Republican Party to keep up with this pace of change, not least because of an aging base of support that lags behind the rest of the country on LGBT equality and other social issues. The Republicans are still along way from being a party that can be plausibly be said to look like America, but continuing to make tactical realities more important rhetorical red meat for the conservative base is the only way that will change.