Republicans seem only half there. In the three states where Santorum finally pierced the winner's circle, the overall effect was marred by low levels of participation. Rather than engage in a caucus with such a lackluster slate of candidates, Republican voters preferred to stay home and simply withdraw from the process. Republicans are making a classic mistake in military tactics which may result in further low turnout and other problems.  They are fighting the last war. The public has moved beyond many of the culture wars which Republicans have been able to exploit to their advantage for the last several decades.

Anti-gay rhetoric is back firing. "Personhood" amendments have failed in several states, including the most conservative one, Mississippi. And Santorum's penchant for out-of-touch sexual mores is as removed from the common place as a Medieval Knight fitting out his wife with a chastity belt before galloping off to the Crusades. 

Aside from fighting last year's culture wars, the G.O.P is unabashedly behind the curve relative to the public's perceptions about tax policy, crony capitalism and the deficit. By large numbers the public supports the Buffett rule, a minimum tax on the super wealthy. Also, eighty per cent of the populace feels that big business and big government are in bed together and gaming the system. As far as the deficit fight goes, the polls indicate that most voters, including Republicans, put the deficit issue at the bottom of their list of immediate concerns. 

Yesterday Boehner appeared to be in his cups as he announced an act of Congress to restore freedom of religion following Obama's supposed assault on the Catholic Church over the funding of contraceptives in Catholic affiliated institutions like hospitals. In the last few days polling shows very little actual concern about this issue among the electorate. But Boehner and the Presidential candidates are still attempting to re-create the culture wars of yesteryear. 

The contraceptive/Catholic Church/religious freedom flap is a red herring. Under the current healthcare program, churches and stand-alone religious institutions are already exempted, it's only the affiliated institutions which hire secular employees that would be affected---and in many states these institutions are already required to offer everyone the standard slate of benefits. No one is forcing anyone to have sex, use a birth control pill, pee into a cup (the Republican favorite),or submit to an examination. Odd, a picture just came to mind of Ron Paul as Merlin in a black robe stirring his cauldron, under threat of immediate death from returning Crusaders to find a remedy for yeast infections.

Isn't it revealing that Republicans are withdrawing into last year's culture wars just now, when the economy is improving and Obama's approval ratings are rising correspondingly. And instead of focusing on the decay of our aging infrastructure they can't wait to start a war with Iran.. Santorum does not want to engage in recreational sex at home but will at the drop of a hat send young men and women off to die in a new war. That would certainly reduce sexual relations. 

Romney wants to withdraw from programs which help the poor and feed hungry children---all of this reduction in size for the needy because we can't afford it. But at the same time Romney will give generously to a private "charity" which expends the money trying to convince gay people that there is a cure for their "gayness". As far as Gingrich is concerned, all the metaphors which come to mind are unprintable.

There was a Revolutionary War General whose strategy was to skirmish with the British and then withdraw. The British would follow. After repeated skirmishes the British had been lured into indefensible terrain and were successfully attacked.  Republicans apparently are trying to imitate this strategy. They have successfully retreated from the economic field of battle but have quite possibly underestimated the degree of backlash from indignant women whose healthcare is being used as a pawn in a trumped up war about religious freedom.   

The old white male pundits inside the beltway are positing the contraceptive ruling as a mistake on Obama's part. Perhaps so, but I rather think it's the other way around. In fighting last year's culture wars the Republicans, and particularly the candidates, are indelibly defining themselves as extremists---they are attempting to take away from women something regarded as a given, paid for contraception in the context of women's health. Even most Catholic women are against such an intrusion. As far as Romney and Santorum are concerned ,they have withdrawn from common sense as well as the general populace. I think the 2012 election will be payback time. Come the election in November, women in this country are simply not going to show up in the Republicans' camp.