The columnist means that the Republican party is acting without having any idea what it is doing, in addition to ignoring what is outside of what they understand by culture.
The columnist is criticizing the Republican party, claiming that they act irrationally and without coherence, stuck in very rigid cultural issues that do not follow social evolution.
In other words, the columnist is criticizing the party's conservatism.
You can learn more about the Republican party at the link below:
https://brainly.com/question/4256065