The Republican presidential candidates are throwing mud nearly as passionately as they’re throwing money. They literally have their grubby little hands so full of grime, cash, and grimy cash that they seem to have forgotten about voter backlash. And if the polls are any indication, independent American voters are not exactly loving all the negativity emanating from the GOP PAC pack.

What happened to all that march-in-lockstep, stick-togetherness they’re so famous for?

The L.A. Times’ Doyle McManus:

Fiscal conservatives don’t have much use for social conservatives. Libertarians and moderates don’t get along with either camp. “We are factionalized now as a party,” lamented Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). “We have to come together.”

She’s right. Why? Because the long and relentlessly negative campaign is making all the GOP candidates less likable to independent voters, who will probably determine the outcome of this fall’s general election.

To add to the muddy fun, Rick Santorum is now attracting more attention after his three recent victories (I will not succumb to “coming from behind” and “surge” jokes, I will not succumb to “coming from behind” and “surge” jokes, I will not succumb to “coming from behind” and “surge” jokes…).  Some commentators are speculating that he could even become the nominee.

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In a Fox News poll last month, GOP voters ranked Santorum first among the candidates as a “true conservative,” well ahead of Romney and Gingrich. And in the ABC-Washington Post poll, they ranked him roughly on par with Romney as “honest and trustworthy” — well ahead of Gingrich, whom only 7% considered the most honest. (Even most Gingrich supporters said they didn’t consider him the most trustworthy candidate.) 

The more America sees, the less they like. Join the club, Republicans, welcome to our world.

Oh, and thanks for doing the Democrats’ work for them.