The thing is I think the Small Government (in terms of spending and entitlements) wing of the party now exists mainly in terms of half the people on an NRO cruise, not actual people out in the country.
The main division in reality among the mass of voters in the party is not between the War and Small Government folks, it's between Fundivangelist Social Cons and the not particularly religious.
"The main division in reality among the mass of voters in the party is not between the War and Small Government folks, it's between Fundivangelist Social Cons and the not particularly religious."
I dunno. I'm not particularly religious, but I'm also socially conservative. One does not have to be religious to believe that abortion is both the taking of innocent life and thinly veiled eugenics, that marriage -is- supposed to be about providing a stable platform for children, etc. etc.
Unfortunately, I seem to be in a minority. Fact is, there's an incredible and irrational and extreme hatred for "fundamentalists" among the non-religious lately. I truly don't understand it. Every time I want to hear the word "theocracy" I want to heave... I mean, for God's sake, if the social cons got absolutely every last thing they wanted - abortion illegal, prayer in schools, cleaned up network TV, etc. etc. - it would at worst be a return to the laws of the 50's regarding these matters. Was the U.S. a "theocracy" in the 50's? I really wish the people who live in unending fear of an impending theocracy would get a grip.
Qwinn
Knowing right from wrong has nothing to do with being a "Fundivangelist Social Con."
Fundivangelists? LOL
Socon is so much more ... concise. You're right, though. The republican tent is looking as fractious as the democrat morass ever was.
Cute. But the implied insult will do nothing to motivate them to vote for Republican social liberals.
Social conservatives are key to any presidential election. No recent Republican candidate ever won by appealing to social liberals; no recent Democratic candidate ever won except by appealing to social conservatives.