Remember back when the GOP was the absolute king of messaging and PR? What the hell happened? Where are Rove’s polling-based tea leaves now? Do they seriously think HURR DURR MOAR IRAQ is a winning electoral strategy? Have they flipped entirely, from amoral-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-elected to elections-don’t-matter-TRUE-BELIEF-IS-CRITICAL?

I don’t know how I didn’t notice it at the time, because it’s really a hell of a switch if you think about it.