Dear RockinRight,
"Social Conservatives strayed from their fiscal conservative roots and ended up causing a backlash."
Ah... I'm not so sure that I agree with that.
I think it's MR. BUSH (as much as I respect him and am glad that he was elected in both 2000 and 2004) who strayed from fiscal conservatism.
I wouldn't say that Mr. Bush is a social conservative first (if he is, then he isn't really much of anything first).
We social conservatives have raised less of a fuss about it, perhaps, then the folks who are primarily fiscal conservatives, but frankly, a lot of us were unhappy, as well.
I know I've been unhappy with the No Child Left Behind Act, Medicare Part D, etc.
But all this really shows is how powerful a president is in his own party, that he can readily warp its principles and its views, and often command obedience to deviation from principle, no matter how reluctant that obedience may be.
sitetest
I'll agree with that.
Bush has done some great things. I think his social record has been fine, but fiscally, on issues like you mention, he hasn't delivered.
Where do you think he has failed on social issues?
I'm going to paraphrase something another Freeper said and I hope it's the right one (Tony, tell me if it wasn't you) who I am going to also ping:
Conservatism is like a bird with two wings, one fiscal one social. You can't fly if one wing is missing.