Has the Culture War returned for 2012? And is the GOP on the losing side now?

[Likely Voter]

If you look at polling on the issues of God, Gays and Guns, the country is moving to the Dem side. However the GOP side has more single issue voters on those issues. But clearly the GOP now see how they cant use these things as wedge issues anymore. Just look at their tepid response to Obama embracing gay marriage.

As for the future, demographics are working against them. The young generation just dont care about gays and you have more and more Hispanic voters. THe GOP has to change or end up a regional party.

[Likely Voter]

GOD

23. Which comes closer to your view: (The government should take special steps to protect America's religious heritage) or (There should be a high degree of separation between church and state)?

         Gov’t take special      Should be a high
          steps to protect     degree of separation      Neither     No
         religious heritage   between church and state    (vol.)   opinion
8/5/12           40                     55                  2        2

25.b. We should be more tolerant of people who choose to live according to their own
moral standards even if we think they are wrong

          --------- Agree ---------   ------- Disagree --------   Neither     No
          NET   Strongly   Somewhat   NET   Somewhat   Strongly    (vol.)   opinion
8/5/12    75       44         31      23       11         12          1        1

26a. Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases or illegal in all cases?

              ------ Legal ------   ----- Illegal -----                      
                     All    Most          Most     All      No                
              NET   cases   cases   NET   cases   cases   opinion  
8/5/12        55     19      36     42     25      17        3

GUNS


37. Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws in this country? Is that strongly or somewhat (favor/oppose)?

            ----------- Favor --------    ---------- Oppose -------     No
            NET    Strongly   Somewhat    NET   Somewhat   Strongly   opinion
8/5/12      51        39         11       47       10         37         2

GAYS
26b. Do you think it should be LEGAL or ILLEGAL for gay and lesbian couples to get married? Do you feel that way STRONGLY or SOMEWHAT?

             --------- Legal ---------   -------- Illegal --------     No  
             NET   Strongly   Somewhat   NET   Somewhat   Strongly   opinion
8/5/12       53       39         14      42       11         32         5

From new WaPo/Kaiser poll
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postkaiserpoll_20120805.html

Also note that the trend is in the Dem direction. Within a decade or so these issues will all have massive majorities. In fact in some issues that is already the case. Look at abortion. Only 17% support the official GOP position. And as noted by previous poster on how some provisions of the assault weapons ban have shown very large majorities. Same is true of civil unions, something the GOP also voted down for their platform yesterday.

Bottom line is that the GOP position is becoming less and less within the mainstream.

[Likely Voter]

there is a difference between the term pro life and the policy positions of the GOP,
Just look at every poll here
http://www.pollingreport.com/abortion.htm

Support for the GOP position of abortion being illegal in all cases has only 16-20% support.

The majority position in America supports the Democratic position that abortion should be legal in most cases.  The label pro life or pro choice doesnt really matter, the policy matters. A lot of people can be personally pro-life but still believe women have the right to choose for themselves and not have the government make the choice for them.

Another example is related to overturning Roe v Wade (which is GOP orthodoxy). Support for Roe has actual been very steady lately. Here is  Quinnipiac data

 "In general, do you agree or disagree with the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to an abortion?"
 
Agree    Disagree    Unsure         
2/14-20/12
   64    31    5         
4/14-19/10
   60    35    5         
7/8-13/08
   63    33    5         
8/7-13/07
   62    32    6         
11/28 - 12/4/05
   63    32    5         
7/21-25/05
   65    30    6         
5/18-23/05
   63    33    5         


There is a lot of nuance with these things, but the GOP tend to always take the most extreme position. Like with gay marraige, they not only are against it but also civil unions which have overwhelming support. And with gun control, the GOP oppose even the simplest regulation (like extended magazines). So when you get past soundbite and labels to actual policies, the GOP positions are more and more extreme on social issues and out of the mainstream. However, many of these (especially the gay issue) seems more related to age. Within a generation they will not be able to continue to be so anti-gay especially.