Now I pride myself on being pretty astute, politically - I can usually see the man behind the curtain and guess whose levers are being pulled. But this latest Dorothy strategy escapes me.

Unless of course it is a true October Surprise.

But, honestly, that makes it all the more baffling. How many Jim West-types have to come out of the closet before these guys get a clue? They act like they’ve never seen a gay person before, every time they see one.

What will they do when Rick Santorum finally comes out?

Seriously, though, all of this points to a true inability on the part of the GOP to adapt; and more importantly, an inability to be open and honest about who they really are. If they can’t even do that, how can they expect to lead? And why would they want to? Where is the fun of being in charge if it means you have to hide in the closet?

And then there’s the public: After all of the scandals of lies, corruption and greed, this is what chases away the “values voters.” And those people consider themselves to be ardent patriots.

Anything went, so long as the neocons were all onboard with the no-mo crowd. But suddenly, the anti-gay buffet went all-you-can-eat, and before they knew it, “Blowjob Bill” paled in comparison to the GOP’s antics.

This is their October Surprise.