It really does some serious cognitive dissonance in my brain when a Republican exhibits some compassionate common sense.

So New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has already said that he does not believe homosexuality is a sin, and who announced his willingness to consider the use of medical marijuana for kids, today signed into law legislation banning gay conversion therapy. The move makes New Jersey the surprise second state, along with that ‘stronghold of Communism,’ California, to embrace the ban on messing with young kids minds.

I hate the presidential horse race stuff this far out of the election, but it's pretty clear to me that Christie has made the calculus that the numbers of extremist purity Republicans isn't sizable enough to give him a viable chance at the White House and that his chances would be better served playing that "reasonable" role.

It's illusory, because Christie is still extreme in his own way, but if it benefits gay children in NJ from the horrific emotional and physical torture of gay conversion therapy, it's all good with me.