The National Organization for Marriage is targeting Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) ahead of today's New Hampsire Primary. The anti-gay group announced this week that it had set up a phone bank and had begun running television ads in the state.

Paul is not a gay rights hero, but he's far from NOM's preferred choice, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn). Paul and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman are the only two major GOP candidates that refused to sign NOM's “Marriage Pledge.”

Here's one of their commercials:

"Many people think that Ron Paul is a conservative, but his 'anything goes' position on marriage isn't conservative—it's radical," said NOM President Brian Brown on the organization's website. "NOM helped drop Paul from first to third in Iowa, and we are committed to making sure that New Hampshire voters know the truth about Ron Paul's views on marriage."

Santorum is poised for a fourth placed finish in today's New Hampshire primary, assuming you believe in the power of polling prediction.

I'm not a fan of Santorum, but he's serving a valuable purpose. Right now, he's the face of the backward mindset that gays and lesbians are somehow second-class citizens, that they don't deserve the right to marriage equality. Every time he answers a question about marriage or re-instating “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” Santorum reminds voters, especially young voters, that his positions are the radical ones.

Ron Paul might not be my choice for president, but anyone targeted by NOM over their views on LGBT rights must be doing something right.

Top photo: The National Organization for Marriage targets Ron Paul ahead of the New Hampshire primary (via Facebook)