You'd think that in an election cycle that is supposed to be favorable to Republicans, social wedge issues would be on the frontburner. But not this year.
"All the oxygen in this election is consumed by questions related to the economy, jobs, deficit and much less on social issues," said Scott Keeter of the Pew Center for the People and the Press.
Same-sex marriage and abortion rank at the bottom of more than a dozen issues raised by voters as being "very important" in this election, according to the most recent Pew poll.
Case in point--there are no ballot initiatives to ban same-sex marriage currently on tap in any state. That's a major surprise, since a gay marriage ban drives fundies to the polls like moths to a flame.
Glenn Beck, as usual, appears to be a bellwether. Just last year, Beck was wringing his hands over the prospect of same-sex marriage. But this year?
But earlier this month, Beck raised eyebrows when he changed his tune. "I think we have bigger fish to fry," he said. "You can argue about abortion or gay marriage or whatever all you want. The country is burning down."
The worst-case scenarios I've seen show the Dems holding the House--but barely. After all, districts that conventional wisdom would suggest would be among the first to go in a Repub takeover don't appear to be on the radar. You'd think the Repubs would be screaming about God, gays and guns in an effort to get the fundies out so they can make the difference. So far, that doesn't seem to be happening.