Joe Carter offers the best explanation that I've yet come across for the continued popularity of Andrew Sullivan in a post at the evangelical outpost:
Digression: I've noticed that for the past several years[Sullivan] has made some of the most outlandish remarks in the blogosphere. And yet he's often given a pass because he "used to be such a talented writer." When exactly was this Golden Age of Andy? I must have missed it. How long does he get to make such dumb remarks before the goodwill wears off? You know, I think there's another explanation. I think he benefits from the Apparent Contradiction Exemption (ACE). If you belong a political species that is a hybrid of two or more groups that aren't normally combined (liberal evangelical, pro-life Democrat) then you are allowed to be treated differently. Sullivan pretends to be a gay conservative Catholic. But the truth is that he's not conservative and not really Catholic. Mostly he's just gay. No, let me rephrase that: he's all gay, all the time. For Sullivan, being gay isn't an orientation it is the root of his very being. If he was a heterosexual we'd all think his being defined by his sexual preference would be weird. But because he's an Officially Persecuted Minority, his opinion is treated as being worth more than your typical third-rate blogger.
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