In a nutshell,

I believe this is the Repub problem/lack of strategy.

Here’s my long-term theory. Over the past few years, Republicans have terrified their most fervent followers about Obamacare in order to disguise the fact that they no longer knew what to say about their old bête noir, entitlements. Now they can’t turn the temperature down.

Let’s review. Not so very long ago, worrying about entitlements was central to Republican identity. Then, they began to notice that the folks at their rallies looked like the audience for “Matlock” reruns. The base was aging, and didn’t want to change Social Security or Medicare. The base didn’t even want to be reminded that Social Security and Medicare were federal programs.

 

Now they're stuck. The only way to sifnificantly cut the Fed budget is through defense and entitlements, BUT, they love wars and bullets and bombs, and their constituency has an average age of about 70. Talk about screwed!