"The Republicans get people angry about gay marriage, abortion and the phrase "Happy Holidays," and those same people turn around and vote to lower taxes on the wealthiest Americans and shoot down a socialized healthcare system that would generally benefit most of them."

Yep. For people who aren't that smart or aren't that interested in politics, gay marriage and abortion seem a lot easier to understand than the complexities of economics and social programs, so they vote with their beliefs on gay marriage and abortion. That results in a lot of evangelical Christians who are genuinely good people, but believe a little too much of what their churches say, voting Republican even though it's probably not in their best interests.