I totally take your point, Jim, and agree with it. Save for this one clarification since you brought him up: Issues with Andrew Sullivan have not just been about gay marriage.
I do, however, love his taste in music (’80s).
On a much more serious note, I’ve long respected him. We share a lot of the same passions — he clearly has a love for God, freedom, marriage, human rights, America … We don’t, however, always agree how that shakes out (obviously). And Jim, of course, is absolutely right: Finding common ground on difficult issues is important. And as I wrote earlier, there is some real value in Patriotic Grace –type cautions. Just as long as you know where you stand. Please talk and make strategic alliances but do not compromise those principles or surrender prematurely.
UPDATE: Readers mention his Trig Palin posts as an example of why they do not and will not read him. I really thought that was shameful. And some of us here said that at the time. (And I actually don’t think I’ve managed to get myself to read him ever since.) But I do think Jim’s main point stands, and it need not be about Andrew Sullivan specifically: If you can find some common ground with someone who has a public following, who has a vote, etc., that can be a very good thing.