One of the most frustrating things about the GOP is that some of its members are afraid of their own shadows.

They are terrified of taking tough stands, lest they get a nasty mention in the WaPo or NYT. That those papers are opposition rags and thus if the Republicans are doing their jobs they should be trashed in those publications is a logic that seems to escape them.

But now we have a subject that solid majorities of Americans concur with the Republicans on. That is, transgender issues.

Fox, “Friday, a new Washington Post-KFF found that 57% of American adults believe gender is based on the sex ‘assigned’ at birth… Fifty-three percent of 18- to 34-year-olds believe that gender is based on birth sex…Sixty-three percent of adults 55 to 64 years of age believe that gender is based on the sex ‘assigned’ at birth.

“Sixty-six percent of American adults do not believe that biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports competitions at the high school level…When it comes to college and professional sports, 65% of American adults don’t believe that biological males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports…In youth sports, 62% of American adults did not believe biological males should be allowed to compete against biological girls. 68% were against giving the 10-14 age group puberty blockers.

“Additionally, 77% of American adults believe it is inappropriate for teachers to discuss their transgender identities with students in kindergarten to third grade. Seventy percent believed the same for students in 4th and 5th grade.”  What more do you need to support a conservative social stand on this issue? How many Dylan Mulvaneys or Sam Brintons have to present themselves before we acknowledge what Steven Tyler and Aerosmith knew in 1987?

But we can do better than that. We can take the battle to the opposition and hit them where it hurts. We can hit them at their own base.

Black and Latin voters tend to be very socially conservative. I mean, really socially conservative. Try supporting gender reassignment surgery or puberty blockers at a black Southern Baptist church or an evangelical Iglesia and see how far it gets you. Yet, many of those folks are Dem votes in 80 percent majorities and more.

The Republicans need to get over being thought a clod at a Georgetown party and target those Dem base groups with hard hitting media and outreach on the entire range of the Dem perv supporting agenda.

This could tip a lot of House and Senate races, not to mention garner success down ballot. It could make inner city races at least competitive and make Dems have to defend territory they previously thought safe. That will keep them closer to home and less financially bothersome in other races.

This opportunity is waiting for us to take up and run with. All we need are Republicans who can read poll numbers and act accordingly. This should not be too much to ask.