Success by failure
Read Thomas Frank's essay in today's NY Times on the logic for Republicans behind the vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment-- an excellent analysis of the Republican "culture wars" by the author of "What's the Matter with Kansas?"
Here's a game to play when you hear Republicans giving speeches between now and November. Count the number of times the words "elites" and "values" are used, and note the context. Imagine how the Republicans are expecting these words to play with blue collar workers in swing states like Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia.