how Machiavellian Republicans are generally. The ends (winning an election) justifies the means. If the situation was flipped and the Democratic candidate was a potentially closeted homosexual, they'd out him in a moment.

In this case, it would take someone putting Graham's sexuality out front in the hopes that it hurts his standing with some Republican voters. Perhaps get some to say "I won't vote for the Democrat, but I can't vote for the homosexual either."

But as I put in another reply, the Dems wouldn't use it as a tactic, and as RQ pointed out, prejudice against African Americans is probably > prejudice against sexual orientation differences.

If these posts make me sound homophobic, it's certainly not the intent or the sentiment.