Rove is credited by supporters and blamed by opponents for leveraging the emotional gay marriage issue to spur Republican voter turnout in Bush's win four years ago. But with the economy in trouble, he says same-sex unions won't generate the same kind of voter response for likely GOP nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

"It has a lower profile, but it will be an issue in people's minds," Rove told the newspaper. "The bigger issues will be the economy, terrorism, healthcare, energy."

Rove said the same-sex marriage issue in the 2008 election will be part of "complicated algorithms" voters will use to choose between McCain and his probable Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Three states -- Florida, California and Arizona -- have initiatives banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot. But unlike 2004, analysts say the issue won't have much of an impact on the presidential races in those states.