James Kirchick, writing in The Advocate, puts forth the best gay case for McCain.
The upshot: McCain is not a homophobe and at a gut level he's repelled by the intolerance of the religious right. But he's no supporter of gay legal equality, either. While the situation for gay Americans would continue to improve under a President McCain, progress would not be driven from the White House.
If you have reason to believe that a President Obama would allow Iraq to become an Al-Qaeda base, strangle free trade, hike taxes up the gazoo for anyone earning over $31,850 (that's just by letting the Bush tax cuts expire) while allowing a Democratic Congress to spend us into stagflation (ok, Bush has pretty much allowed that already, but it could get even worse, really), then it's not self-loathing for gays to support McCain.
On the other hand, if you think rhetorical expressions of support for gays override all other issues facing the nation, then clearly McCain is never going to please.
More. The value of experience.
Furthermore. Somewhat relatedly (gays and GOP), a Log Cabin board member argues that support for Washington State's expanded partnership rights bill fits in with the GOP's "history and tradition of promoting individual liberty and a belief in empowering states and local communities." Well, that's part of the GOP's history, but the good part that it's altogether correct to call the party home to.
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