Washington ( CNN ) -- With the stroke of her pen a few years ago , Arizona Gov . Jan Brewer took the lead in a GOP immigration retreat that made it harder for Republicans to win the White House in 2012 . Now , she is again at the center of a big national debate , but this time might her signature be part of an evolution helpful to GOP chances in 2016 ? At issue then : her support for Arizona 's tough immigration law . Brewer signed SB 1070 into law in 2010 and its tough provisions became a national flashpoint and contributed to President Barack Obama 's huge advantage among Latino voters . And now ? A Brewer veto is at issue : The governor rejected legislation that would have allowed Arizona businesses to deny services to gay people on grounds of religious beliefs . Veto follows business backlash over anti-gay bill . Tolerance is an issue for Republicans among key voting blocs , especially independents and younger voters . So some GOP strategists were quick to applaud Brewer for a move they say shows Republicans are listening and adapting to changing times -- and changing views on gay rights . `` It tells us the Republican Party is learning the difference between standing for principle and standing in the middle of a busy intersection , '' said GOP strategist Alex Castellanos . `` In other words , we are learning that futile gestures that have only symbolic impact do the GOP cause more harm than good . '' Who 's behind the religious freedom push ? Many social conservatives critical to GOP success vehemently disagree with that take , however , and the shifting tides of the immigration debate in recent years suggest we have hardly heard the last word . Effects of immigration revolt still felt . Remember , some of the toughest proposals for new immigration steps were a response to a Republican president -- George W. Bush -- and a Republican presidential nominee -- Sen. John McCain . They favored a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented workers , setting off a revolt among conservatives who consider that granting amnesty to lawbreakers . And that revolt had ripple effects that continue to this day . Arizona 's 2010 legislation was a conservative-led rebuke to the views of Bush , McCain and by then , Obama . Brewer was hardly known as a conservative firebrand , but she signed the law and avoided a backlash from the right as she readied for a re-election campaign . In 2012 , it was Mitt Romney , once a supporter of the Bush-McCain-Kennedy approach , embracing the Arizona law and saying with tough measures those here illegally would `` self deport . '' Now , House Speaker John Boehner , also in general agreement with the Bush-McCain-Kennedy approach , wo n't bring such a measure to a vote because he knows a vocal minority in his caucus would revolt . Veto a bump in the road for `` religious freedom '' movement . Brewer 's veto on the latest Arizona bill drew praise from the Obama White House and from Hillary Clinton , which tells you all you need to know about whether social conservatives will press the issue in the next White House campaign . `` Looking ahead to 2016 , there are only going to be more clashes and court cases which will make 'judges ' an even bigger issue in the GOP primaries and caucuses , '' said conservative strategist Keith Appell . Strategist : Debate is about limiting government reach . Castellanos agrees but sees a changing tone . `` We will still have the debate in the primaries , but it will be less intense , '' he predicts . `` The party is n't changing its values but is learning that we ca n't be big government conservatives , even when it is convenient for us , on social conservative issues . `` In short , the debate is increasingly about limiting the role of government , where social conservatives and libertarians agree , than about gay marriage , where Republicans do n't . '' This finding in a recent New York Times/CBS News poll reinforces that latter point : `` Over all , Republican support for same-sex marriage is on the rise . In the fall of 2012 , just 24 % of Republicans backed legalizing the unions ; now 40 % of Republicans do so . '' Romney and Florida Gov . Rick Scott were among major GOP voices who urged Brewer to veto the Arizona gay rights law . But if we have learned anything in recent years , when leading GOP establishment figures say one thing , vocal voices in the tea party and social conservative movement will urge another -- and try to punish those who disagree . So what happens the 2014 election year -- in the courts and at the ballot box -- will have as much if not more influence on the 2016 intra-Republican debate as Brewer 's veto . `` These instances where gay rights clash with free exercise of faith , '' the conservative strategist Appell said , `` will only gin up and activate the conservative base even more in 2014 . '' Castellanos believes the growing libertarian streak within the GOP will push the party to an eventual resolution of these tensions. `` 'Freedom nationally , values personally , ' is where the GOP is going , '' Castellanos argues . But , mindful of the continuing immigration divide , what Castellanos does n't argue is that any GOP evolution on gay rights and same-sex marriage specifically will happen smoothly .
Arizona governor 's hard line on immigration hurt GOP 's chances of winning White House . Gov . Jan Brewer 's veto of anti-gay bill was applauded for adapting to changing times . But praise from the left wo n't help conservatives accept unpopular decision .