...social conservatives in town this weekend for the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference said the GOP would be making a grave mistake to ignore the hot-button culture-war issue. To the contrary, they believe it’s key to the party’s fortunes in the 2014 midterms and beyond.

“If they want to just run on economic issues, you’re not going to get the church people,” said Bob West of Tallahassee, Fla., wearing a yellow tie with the words “Choose Life” on it. “That’s the bottom line.” [...] “The problem connecting with young people was not social issues,” said radio host Michael Medved. “It was economic issues.”

“They’ve got it upside down,” Bauer said. “The social issues we believe in are more popular than the Republican economic agenda.”

Last November, the Republican Party's extreme position on abortion contributed mightily to a double-digit gender gap and cost them easy victories in the Missouri and Indiana Senate elections. Nonetheless: Their reasoning?Professional evangelical Gary Bauer agreed that pushing a 19th century agenda is more popular than the "tax cuts for billionaires" favored by the GOP's establishment:I guess Bauer almost has a point. It's pretty much impossible to defend the Republican economic agenda, which basically comes down to inflicting misery on as many people as possible. But it doesn't make any sense for Bauer to use that fact as exhibit number one in his argument for doubling down on the War on Women. The good news for Bauer is that he's getting his way, at least on the social policy.

Last year, there was Akin and Mourdock; this year there is Trent Franks. Last year, Republican state legislatures passed laws mandating medically unnecessary ultrasounds for women who choose abortion; this year they are doing the same (see Walker, Scott). Last year, congressional Republicans cast vote after vote aimed at banning abortion; this year, they are promising the same, including a vote on Wednesday to ban abortion after 20 weeks.

So despite the angst among Bauer and his gang, they should be celebrating. They're itching for more War on Women, and that's exactly what they are getting.