Through an odd sequence of decisions -- including a veto of a date change by Democratic governor Jay Nixon -- Missouri is stuck with a presidential preference primary on Tuesday that has very close to no meaning. We here in Missouri will actually pick our convention delegates at a series of caucus meetings on March 17.

What makes the primary interesting is the fact that Newt Gingrich missed the filing deadline.  This will make the primary the first head-on confrontation between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum among those voters not supporting Ron Paul.  According to my contact, arguably the state's leading Democratic operative, the Dems will be sending their minions to the polls to vote for Santorum.

It is not that they like Santorum.  In the perversely compartmentalized mind of the Democratic voter, Rick Santorum is known first and foremost as a homophobe.  Google "Santorum," and the top item on the page -- just above "Rick Santorum for President" -- is a site called "spreadingsantorum.com."

The home page has no other element but a definition of "Santorum," one that is impressively vulgar even by left wing standards.  It reads,  "Santorum 1.  The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex."  Young Democrats that I have talked to think this hilarious.  More than 73,000 of them have clicked "like" on its Facebook counterpart.  If possible, the site goes downhill from page one.

The Democratic strategy in Missouri is to deny Mitt Romney the nomination.  The Dems I have talked to think "Rick Santorum" little more than a punch line for a dirty joke.   According to the February 4, Rasmussen Report, however, the punch line is leading President Obama 45 to 44 percent in the daily tracking poll.  A Santorum win, which seems likely, will make the joke all the more amusing.