It is what is known as the "silly season" of American politics—late summer rhetoric on hot-button social issues designed to motivate party bases and draw stark lines between presidential candidates on topics like religion, ethics and personality. Seemingly inconsequential statements are blown out of proportion, forcing the candidates to make a stand and take a strong position on issues they will most likely try to avoid once in office.

In the 2012 U.S. presidential election, social issues seem to be taking up the spotlight even more than usual. A series of mass shootings and violence have pushed gun rights to center stage, a controversial stance by a right-wing candidate has made its way into the Republican party platform and the Obama's administration first-term actions on immigration and healthcare have riled up extremists on both sides of the aisle.

Even if social issues are more style over substance, many U.S. voters care deeply about them. The U.S. president will likely be chosen not by foreign policy or even economic blueprint – but rather whom voters would rather "have a beer with" or who share their personal values. The "silly season" just got a lot more serious.

Same-sex marriage

After decades of avoiding an official stance, both parties this year have come fully out with a position on same-sex marriage. Both parties have included stands in their platforms, meant to be the roadmap and agenda for party members on how they should cast their votes. The American public is cleanly divided over the issue, with about 50 percent for and against allowing gay couples to legally wed and enjoy the same tax breaks and rights that heterosexual couples enjoy.

The Democrats have not pushed for a federal law allowing gay marriage as of yet, but for the first time the party has made support for same-sex marriage an official stance in the party platform. They also call for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that recognizes marriage as between a man and women, allowing states to draft their own definition of marriage. In May, President Barack Obama said he personally supported gay marriage. He also repealed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy banning gays from openly serving in the military.

"Attitudes on this issue are changing faster than on any other issue in the history of public-opinion polling," Democratic pollster Mark Mellman told the Daily Beast.

Republicans at their national convention in Tampa approved what they themselves called "the most conservative platform in modern history."Republicans reaffirmed support for a constitutional amendment "defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman" and for the Defense of Marriage Act. The party did soften its stance on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", stating "we will support an objective and open-minded review of the current administration's management of military personnel policies."

Romney has generally avoided talking about gay marriage, though he has stated that he believes a marriage should be between a man and a woman.

"When these issues were raised in my state of Massachusetts, I indicated my view, which is I do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and I do not favor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than by name. My view is the domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitation rights and the like are appropriate, but that the others are not," Romney told a Fox News affiliate in Colorado.

Abortion

When Representative Todd Akin of Missouri in August said abortion services should not be available even to women who are raped because victims of "legitimate rape" rarely become pregnant, there was a public outcry. Even Romney called his comments that the "female body has ways to try and shut that whole thing down" deeply offensive.

However illogical Akin's views are, they are in line with the Republican Party platform. The GOP approved a ban on abortion in its party platform without an exception for rape or incest. The party state in its platform "the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed." The GOPsaid it opposes using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or to fund organizations that perform or advocate abortions. It would also refuse to fund or subsidize health care that includes abortion coverage.