It is all about control, isn't it? The whole gay marriage fooforal

For those at the top of the right wing food chain this whole to do is about controlling their forces. Giving them a cause and some 'others' to hate on. This keeps the troops in line. This keeps the troops from asking questions. This keeps the troops spending time and money on yet another battle while their leadership steals their rights, their money, their future.
And when this battle ends another will be ginned up. Maybe from some of the old standards such as abortion or guns. Maybe a new outrage will appear out of whole cloth, no doubt something that accuses democrats of not having enough patriotism.
And while these right wingers are focused on battles that mean little in reality, our national focus is diverted and the nation continues to deteriorate as we slip to a third world status.
And in the end the right wing leaders couldn't care less about gay marriage. It is but another tool in their arsenal of control.

strategy that can really be played to the hilt.

... of gay marriage becoming widely accepted: they would lose yet another one of their diminishing arsenal of bogus 'values' talking points that they can use to keep the sheep in line.

... I am just thinking that the fundies can get the most politcal capital out of the gay marriage debate as long as this (non-)issue is controversial and opinionated, and not accepted by a majority in some places, so they can keep it an issue and paint themselves as the 'moral' ones?

I have not been thinking too deeply about this, admittedly.

while they had the chance. They were in control of everything to bring legal abortion to a halt in this country, yet they didn't get rid of one of their favorite rallying tools.

So, I either need to go to sleep or I'm on the same wavelength you are SurfingScientist.