Posted on 01/06/2012 3:43:55 PM PST by Fred
This video (via Leslie of Temple of Mut) of Rick Santorum has made the rounds as evidence that Santorum is hostile to the Tea Party movement.
The key sentence, in which he expresses and intention to “vocally, publicly oppose” the Tea Party, is ambiguous. Was he saying he would oppose the Tea Parties, or only those in the Tea Parties who in his view are distorting conservatism?
Regardless, I find the dialogue troubling. I would describe myself as a “conservative with a libertarian streak,” and I think that description probably would be used by a lot of Tea Party supporters. If Santorum plans on fighting the influence of libertarianism in the conservative movement, then I don’t see how he is a Tea Party choice.
I also think Santorum was a “shorter,” engaging in an Obama-like straw man argument asserting that libertarians believe in “no government.”
There also is an aspect, which I don’t think is much of a negative, of Santorum’s personality showing through. Santorum in the Senate has been described as making Newt Gingrich [look] like Miss Manners. You can see it in this video.
(Excerpt) Read more at legalinsurrection.com ...
“The Tea Party was always (l)ibertarian, from the outset.
The Tea Party has not once, at any time that I am aware of, take a position on a social issue...for or against.”
Our Tea Party group is probably the most active in Ohio. We are Conservative.
I know PLENTY of tea parties in Ohio that take a stand on social issues.
“There’s no doubt that both the (l)ibertarian and Social Conservative wings of the GOP need to find accommodation”
==================================================Since conservatism is mostly religious social conservatives, they define what conservatism is and the more secular, less religious, anti-social conservatives need to learn to accommodate that, or go ahead and vote for the party that is officially anti-social conservative.
We don’t need two anti-God, democrat parties merely separated by economic questions.
Dude, you must be snorting crank.
Social Conservatives are not only a minority in the nation, they are a minority in the GOP.
That said, the small (l)ibertarians in the GOP are reaching out and asking: "What do you want"?
Because, we know we cannot win without you.
But don't be thinking you're the tail wagging the dog. That would just show you're not aware of the reality of the electorate.
Religious Americans vote Republican.
Secular Americans, and the less religious vote Democrat.
The less religious someone is, the more likely they are a liberal voter, and the opposite for the faithful.
Social conservatives vastly outnumber social liberals, and I think the numbers are probably higher than suspected, judging by the religious breakdown of voting.
“The Barna poll conducted in November 2008 shows significant differences between the 32% of Americans who called themselves as “mostly conservative” on social and political matters; and the 17% who called themselves “mostly liberal” on social and political matters. The others —50%—were moderates with positions somewhere in-between.”
Evangelical voters alone accounted for 29% of the 2010 voters, then add the Catholics and others, you anti-social conservatives are mostly in the democrat column, by a huge margin.
DULUTH, Ga., Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ — According to a post-election survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, the largest single constituency in the electorate in the 2010 midterm elections was self-identified evangelicals, who comprised 29% of the vote and cast an astonishing 78% of their ballots for Republican candidates.
The turnout by conservative people of faith represented a 5 percent increase in evangelical turnout over 2006-—enough to eliminate Democratic gains in that year-—and was the largest ever recorded in a midterm election. Because the evangelical vote is concentrated in the South and the Midwest, these voters had an exaggerated impact on yesterday’s GOP gains, contributing to the vast majority of U.S. Senate and House victories by Republican candidates.
The survey also found that 52% of all self-identified members of the Tea Party movement are conservative evangelicals. This is consistent with polling data by other organizations conducted before Election Day.
Evangelicals were joined by frequently-church-attending Roman Catholic voters, who constituted 12 percent of the vote and cast 58 percent of their ballots for Republican candidates, as opposed to 40 percent of their ballots for Democrats, according to CNN exit polling.
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/1660315402.html
For those who self-identify as Christian, only about 40% self-identify as Republicans.
You probably even call yourself a “Christian” when asked directly, it doesn’t make you religious.
Not all Social Conservatives and Religious voters vote GOP.
Just because they ID themselves that way.
I assume you are not very religious, or not religious at all?
I still remember when the evangelicals were all twitterpated over Rick Warren.
No you don’t, show me those statistics.
Evangelicals are the most conservative voters, and the heart and muscle of conservatism.
Just being evangelical doesn't appear to be a particularly reliable indicator of politcal disposition or stability.
Being Evangelical is a stable indicator of conservatism and stability.
Being against Evangelicals and conservative Catholics and Orthodox Jews is usually a position of the hard left, how is it that you are coming from that position?
Anti-social conservatives cannot get to their goals without destroying the conservatives.
Conservatives examine and make decisions based on the evidence. Liberals respond to emotional "feel good" propaganda.
Unforturnatly for you, I recognize that not all evangelicals are political conservatives. Fortunatley for the evangelicals that are, I recognize that not all of them are jerks.
There is no all of anything when discussing 10s of millions of people, there are even a few anti-social conservatives, and anti-Christians/Evangelicals, who vote like Evangelicals.
Evangelicals are the most conservative voting people in America.
Actually I think conservative voters would be the most conservative voting people in America.
I fail to understand your compulsion or pupose in dividing people according to thier religious beliefs.
Fortunately, the people who don't share your religious beliefs, but respect and fight for your your right to them aren't doing it simply to enjoy your grudging acceptance of them as political allies when it's convenient, and will continue to do it no matter how condescending and dismissive you are to them.
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