You know the Republicans are panicking when they ask their members if they should still be opposed to gay marriage, abortion, and marijuana. But that’s what a new RNC survey does, much to the chagrin, one would imagine, of the party’s “family values” base.

The official RNC survey, being promoted by party liberals like Cindy McCain, seems to be putting a wet finger in the air on once-hot-button issues in the party like gay rights, abortion, and marijuana legalization (of all things).

Age 18-29? Tell the RNC chairman what YOU think of the Republican Party. Results will be given to him in 2 weeks surveymonkey.com/s/8PXHD8Y — Cindy McCain (@CindyhM1) March 30, 2013

This would be akin to Democrats polling our members on whether inter-racial marriage is okay, and whether women deserve the vote. If you ask the question at all, it suggests that the questioner is wavering on the question itself, or at least worried that the party’s standard position on the issues (opposed) is potentially a long-term loser.

The entire survey leans left, in my opinion. One need look no further than Question 8. There’s something conspicuously missing:

What’s missing? Immigration. Where is it? Gone, baby. And it’s not anywhere in the entire survey.

And “family values” isn’t in that list either, though gay marriage and abortion are – nonetheless, the once-GOP-buzzword “family” is gone.

You know what else isn’t anywhere in the survey? The budget, the budget deficit, or federal spending. Another huge issue for die-hard GOPers. Now erased.

Just as interesting, throughout the survey they use the word “gay” rather than “homosexual,” the somewhat pejorative term favored by the anti-gay right expressly because gays don’t do as well in polling when the word “homosexual” is used instead of “gay” in the question.

Another “tell” on the gay issue, the RNC makes a nod to – I hate to say “politically correctness,” but that’s the term a Republican gay-hater would use – the new inclusiveness that, instead of saying “gay,” now says “gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.” (Even though the RNC got it wrong, while the correct order was once “gay, lesbian” it’s now “lesbian, gay.”)

Another telling question, number 15:

Ouch.

Polling about how well Republicans “like” the Tea Party? That means they’re worried that people don’t like the Tea Party. Interesting that the RNC didn’t ask how well people like conservatives, or even liberals, in the party – they only asked about the Tea Party. Hmm….

Another indication that the party may have gone soft are questions 22 and 26, that are downright granola-y for a Republican:

Nice? Fun? What is this, senior prom? All kidding aside, voters don’t like candidates who are mean and boring. But again, the fact that the RNC is asking the question means they’re worried that too many Republicans, at least those in office and running the party, are mean and boring. I’m just wondering who’s going to tell Rush Limbaugh and the Family Research Council that they’re just not “fun” any more?

Another sore point for the RNC, “age”:

There are also two odd questions – well, odd in terms of the realm of possible responses the RNC offered. Here’s the first, where the RNC seems to have elevated the environment to a civil right:

Also important to note is that the RNC now lists gays along with other groups that are discriminated against, implicitly acknowledging that gay rights are civil rights (another sore point for the religious right).

The final question, that’s perhaps the most surprising, is the RNC asking people what their sexual orientation is.

While on a Democratic survey you might expect a question about sexual orientation, die-hard GOPers like to claim that no one should be asking anyone what their sexual orientation is since it’s “just a sex practice.” But this survey treats it as far more than a sex practice.

Oh, and Dear RNC, “in the closet” is not a sexual orientation. Though I guess in Republican circles, maybe it is :)