Should gay marriage be a political issue?

How can it not be? Whatever anyone may feel it IS a political issue and that won't change until most people either are for or against it... only through complete resolution and consensus, a la racial civil rights. Both sides would argue for consensus... but in different ways. And we know that's not happening anytime soon, either way. Eventually we'll have marriage in most all states, just because of shifting demographics, but it's rather telling that California of all states would be willing to write Prop 8 into their constitution (by a slim margin), and in a election where the left made some hefty gains overall.