And the reality is that current front lines in the social conservative world are libertarian issues.
Rolling back Obamacare which forces everyone to pay for abortion is the front line. Both social conservatives and libertarians agree that it must be rolled back. But we can’t join together to find a way forward. I am surprised by then number of people who popped in on this thread to get their cheap shot “my way or the highway”. It’s a stupid way to think and it’s shortsighted and will win nothing.
Yes and no - from the Social conservative side, the most important thing that is being eroded is LIFE. My libertarian FRiends hold that Life should be a matter for the states, but that is directly stepping upon the deeply held Conviction among those of the Christian Right that Life is Constitutionally protected... A libertarian candidate fielded with the standard libertarian view on Life will *not* attract the Christian Right. Similar problems exist wrt sanctity of marriage.
Concession on these minor (from a libertarian view) points upholds the Christian principles that are dear to their hearts without serious damage to a libertarian's principles.
Equally, It would be proper (and dire) for Christians to admit that the war on drugs has largely been responsible for the federal government's overreach in authority, and to realize that they have a large responsibility for it - It would be most necessary to reign all that in, and get the authority and law back into the hands of the states, rather than further feeding of the federal behemoth. In every case, the libertarians I have spoken with have ceded the point that the states DO have the authority to regulate drugs, and have even begrudgingly admitted that some sort of federal intervention can be foreseen as necessary (interstate, US borders). But the solution is *not* the federal 'war on drugs'.
It isn't generally the case that libertarians want to do drugs, but rather that the laws against drugs are dire impositions against liberty. That is a very important distinction to make, because libertarians thinking that way are TOTALLY valid in their position.
YES, Obamacare is the 'front lines' in the big picture, as is the ousting of Obama himself. But in order to obtain the votes to win, we need a candidate (a field of candidates down-ballot as well) that holds positions that the big 'c' Conservatives (all factions) can support. This is CRITICAL, and starts with a platform and planks that preserve the critical principles, the FIRST THINGS which are immovable, for all conservative factions. Nobody should have to take a back seat. NOBODY should be in the back of the bus, or under it! That is what Neoconservatism has wrought! Conservatives of ANY stripe should not need to sacrifice the principles that form their way of life, because they WON'T - and then the votes won't be there... Without all of Conservatism, we most certainly fail - Either an outright loss, or yet another Pyrrhic victory which does more harm than good. We need to get back to Reagan.