Ralph Reed claims 24% of the electorate are “religous conservatives.” Reed is talking about how we didn’t lose becayse we were pro-life but because we are pro-big government.Reed is making some great points, so sad he is compromised by Abramoff.

Ryan Sager is speaking now about the concept of fusionism and how Republicans won’t win until they find the appeal to libertarians again. It seems to me these guys really don’t disagree per se.

Now the big differences come out, as Ryan Sager argues we are on the wrong side of the gay marriage issue. “The biggest civil rights issue of our day.” Reed is responding by talking about a larger agenda that will appeal to libertarians but is talking about gay marriage as the defining part of this argument.

It is interesting point that gay marriage is such a divider. I would like to see polling on how many libertarians vote actually on gay marriage and not economic issues.

I think a point could be made that the pandering of the FMA as a pure political tool is definitely a mistake (politically and morally) but is this an issue that really hurts our party?

Reed talks about the fact that it was a judicial fiat that brought marriage to the forefront. Sager responds that it still was a wedge issue, and demeanizing homosexuals to gin up more evangelical, african americans, and latinos.

One questioner brought up the latino vote and if the family issues weren’t the best way to win them over. Sager responds that libertarianism will win them over. I think this is perhaps Sagers weakest point so far. Reed is talking about the success of the GOP with hispanics in Georgia.

Sager says success was due to school choice not gay marriage or abortion.

Uh oh Terri Schiavo comes up…

Reed lays the smack pointing out that the younger cohort may be pro-gay marriage but they aren’t married yet. But his best point was that the reason we lost all the swing cohorts in 2006 was the war in Iraq and not gay marriage, which is supported strongly by the exit polls.

Reed talks about Casey, Heath Shuler, etc