By Scott Fowler

In  a blog entry not yet published called The Sinking Ship of Evangelicalism . . .  , I wrote:

Some are abandoning evangelicalism for political reasons. The fabled evangelical block of power failed conservatives in the last two major elections. Now, with evangelicals being more and more labeled as extremists, I expect to see the Republican party begin moving away from evangelicals and moving to the left—at least far enough to get back in the game.

Today, here is the latest development confirming that prediction:

Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman‘s endorsement of same-sex marriage rights on Friday is the latest high-profile example of a sea change within the conservative movement toward gay rights.

A trickle of GOP leaders have begun to back the rights of gay and lesbian couples to marry, and activists at the conservative movement’s signature gathering this week express tolerance for Republicans…