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Should the GOP Double Down on Social Conservatism? Politics
Little Green Footballs ^ | November 5 2008 | Charles Johnson

Posted on 11/05/2008 2:33:07 PM PST by Presbyterian Reporter

Some interesting comments from David Frum, as the GOP soul-searching and finger-pointing begins: Republicans face fraught choice between two roads to revival.

A generation ago, Republicans dominated among college graduates. In 1984 and 1988, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush won states like California, Pennsylvania and Connecticut – states that have been “blue” for a generation. (America’s least educated state, West Virginia, went for Michael Dukakis in 1988.)

Those days are long gone. Since 1988, Democrats have become more conservative on economics – and Republicans have become more conservative on social issues.

College-educated Americans have come to believe that their money is safe with Democrats – but that their values are under threat from Republicans. And there are more and more of these college-educated Americans all the time.

So the question for the GOP is: Will it pursue them? To do so will involve painful change, on issues ranging from the environment to abortion. And it will involve potentially even more painful changes of style and tone: toward a future that is less overtly religious, less negligent with policy, and less polarizing on social issues. That’s a future that leaves little room for Sarah Palin – but the only hope for a Republican recovery.

This argument makes sense to us, and we’ve been holding forth in our comments on this very topic. If the GOP decides to go in the Bobby Jindal direction (fundamental Christianity, creationism, hard-line anti-abortionism, aggressively anti-gay rights), it will be committing political suicide. As much as anything else, this election was a referendum on the social conservative agenda, and the social conservatives did not win.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: conservative; gop
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To: DCPatriot

I see you are back to your anti-Christian, pro-immigration self.


41 posted on 11/05/2008 2:55:01 PM PST by ansel12 ( When a conservative pundit mocks Wasilla, he's mocking conservatism as it's actually lived.)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter
It's the SOCIALISM, Stupid!

Republicans need to return to the Gingrich model.
Social conservatism is a fine foundation, but it is nothing more than that — a foundation.
It is not an electoral strategy. It is not a governing policy.
Republicans need to realize that politicians are elected to govern. We need an agenda of government reform, rooting out corruption (not engaging in it), shrinking government, eliminating waste, modernizing and streamlining government, cutting red tape. This is what people want. 0bama hit these themes himself, frequently. Let us not forget, 0bama spoke out of both sides of his mouth, and one of those sides was the Right. Of course he's not going to do all of those conservative Republican sounding things he promised, but the closer we got to election day, the more he talked like one of us. America still holds these common sense ideals. The country didn't move left, 0bama simply head faked right. And McCain was incapable of articulating a grand vision.
 
42 posted on 11/05/2008 2:56:16 PM PST by counterpunch (It's the SOCIALISM, Stupid!)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

Where is this bus exactly, and how soon can we throw David Frum underneath it?


43 posted on 11/05/2008 2:56:24 PM PST by x
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To: Philo-Junius

“Calling Jindal a fundamentalist is about as wrong-headed as one would expect for a country-club Republican to get.”

Jindal is Catholic. A fundamentalist Catholic? He did say he witnessed an exorcism and though it was real, but that is within standard Catholic doctrine (someone correct me if I’m wrong.) If actually believing your religion is true makes you a fundamentalist, then I guess Jindal is one.

I guess in their mind it is OK to be religious, just as long as you don’t get too carried away with actually believing the stuff you hear in church.


44 posted on 11/05/2008 2:56:34 PM PST by Brookhaven (.)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter
Before long, no one will think money of any kind, theirs or anyone else's, is safe with a democrat. One thing to be ready to build on.

But there are two key policies that conservatives must instantly embrace. The first is systematic isolationism in foreign policy and the use of force. No support for anything hawkish in any way, while any Dem is in the white house. They refused even to be still when be bled and died to keep them safe. I refuse to watch a single patriot so much as shed a tear, let alone a drop of blood, to serve these cowards.

Second, the dems were insufferable bores in opposition --- just wait and see what they will be in power. The winning line is the libertarian leave us alone strand of conservatism. Get these busy-bodies and scolds out of my face, that is the winning line next time. Be on message about it, hyper-alert, never go along with them on the slightest measure that could irk anyone. Let the Dems run 2 years from now on the platform of toilets that don't work.

Every mandate, every cloying sentiment, every regulation, every restriction on development, on speech, on health, on any personal choice to live as one pleases --- defy them and ridicule them and laugh at them. Compromise on nothing, go along with nothing. Demand that the people be left free to do whatever they want on any and every issue the Dems raise. Don't counter with some other proposals, your own way, don't touch content at all. "On that subject, the Republican party stands for completely free choice for every individual American". Repeat it endlessly.

Because they will be utterly insufferable and the American people will notice it, very rapidly.

45 posted on 11/05/2008 2:57:43 PM PST by JasonC
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

Charles Johnson has practically wrecked the Anti-Jihad movement, by delinking from Robert Spencer (Jihadwatch) and now he wants to give advice to the Republican party?

This man is dangerous. But don’t believe me. Join LGF and try posting a contrarian view, even a mild one, nothing trollish, but well-behaved, reasoned, doubtful and wondering... about - say - Robert Spencer or Fjordman and see how long it takes to be booted out. Faster than even Democratic Underground. And that is not the American way! In fact it’s not the way anywhere that still appreciates considered thought.

Naturally after this defeat, the Republicans will have to find their soul, their core values and their painful compromises, but advice from Charles Johnson and his adoring echo chamber lizaroids?

No grazie.

The guy has lost it.


46 posted on 11/05/2008 2:57:46 PM PST by Mancolicani
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To: jpeg82

Creationism isn’t a policy or governing philosophy.
Creationism doesn’t increase wealth and opportunity, or protect our liberties.
Creationism doesn’t keep government accountable to the people.


47 posted on 11/05/2008 2:58:50 PM PST by counterpunch (It's the SOCIALISM, Stupid!)
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To: Brookhaven

What he means is that he fears that Jindal is seriously Christian, and not just a country-club Episcopalian who enjoys hymns.

Terms like fundamentalist, with concrete meaning one could look up in a dictionary, are really just thrown around as scare words.


48 posted on 11/05/2008 3:00:19 PM PST by Philo-Junius (One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law.)
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To: jpeg82

I wouldn’t use Obama as a comparison or example to anything because most people don’t even know him (MSM) - yet.


49 posted on 11/05/2008 3:00:55 PM PST by chase19
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To: Presbyterian Reporter
Johnson is a fair-weathered "conservative" who endorsed the GOP platform after 9/11 only insofar as it allowed him to fume in his hatred for Arabs. He'll be entering Andrew Sullivan territory any day now and "seeing the light" of The One.

That's the beauty of this election. The poseur conservatives are flaming out.
50 posted on 11/05/2008 3:01:15 PM PST by UncleDick (Sola fide)
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To: ansel12
I see you are back to your anti-Christian, pro-immigration self.

Excuse me? I'm pointing out that HALF the country voted for that SOB. 8 MILLION more than for McCain.

And all you have to offer here is a personal attack?

Run along.

51 posted on 11/05/2008 3:01:46 PM PST by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon))
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To: horse_doc
Never let them forget that it isn't a battle between religious people and non-religious people; it is a battle between two religions.

Right. Both agree on Big Government Oversight, they just differ on the details

52 posted on 11/05/2008 3:02:34 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (More law, less justice. - Marcus Tullius Cicero)
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To: counterpunch

Social conservatives can be boiled down to two issues:

Gay marriage
Abortion

That’s it. Nothing else.

Are other issues important to them (like school vouchers, displays of religion in school)? Yes, but they pale in comparison to the big two (and on issues like school vouchers, you’ll find a lot of economic conservatives support that issue also for non-religious reasons.)

The social conservatives are not the drag on the party (unless you think we can’t win without being pro-choice, in which case you might as well give up, because that is the one non-negotiable issue social conservatives have.)


53 posted on 11/05/2008 3:04:04 PM PST by Brookhaven (.)
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To: UncleDick
Social, Economic and Defense Conservative Principles are the core of the TRUE republican party and we need to fight for them all.

The reason we are losing minorities and college kids is education. The liberals have been brain washing kids for decades now. History has not been taught for over twenty years. Guess what if you don't know communism doesn't work then it sounds kinda neat. The answer for both minorities and the youth IS VOUCHERS!!!! The liberal school system is failing and no matter how much money Obama pours in it will continue to fail because like socialism there is no competition and no reason to try. Now if the neighbors take the vouchers and there kids don't end up working at a fast food restaurant or as a drug dealer people will begin to realize what the teachers union and the democrats have done to them for generations.

54 posted on 11/05/2008 3:05:17 PM PST by Pacothecat
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To: pissant

Heads need to roll in the RNC. Maybe the Centrist Coalition take over FAILURE is what was needed.


55 posted on 11/05/2008 3:07:45 PM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

>>>and Republicans have become more conservative on social issues.

I’ve not seen that.


56 posted on 11/05/2008 3:09:21 PM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter
Frum and Johnson, the loner nerds with the dog-eared Nietzche books sitting alone in the corner of the high school cafeteria snickering at the crowded tables of the prom king and queen.
57 posted on 11/05/2008 3:09:49 PM PST by AHerald ("Be faithful to God ... do not bother about the ridicule of the foolish." - St. Pio of Pietrelcina)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

>>>Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs is advocating the social fundamentalists like Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal need to be thrown underneath the bus.

I think they need to go find their own party. Leave our party alone. People like Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal and Duncan Hunter need to be elevated in the party.


58 posted on 11/05/2008 3:11:26 PM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

Bye Bye, Republican Party! To try to bring the party up to what it used to be, the corrupt people at the top must go. That won’t happen, so , should another election ever be held, why bother to vote anyway? Absolutely nothing that I stand for, or would vote for passed this time in the country, and many people and issues I would never vote for did, so I guess I am no longer relevant in my country.


59 posted on 11/05/2008 3:14:36 PM PST by Paperdoll (On the cutting edge.)
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To: Presbyterian Reporter

Frum is not only wrong but he is bad wrong. McCain, unlike Obama came with a past and many remembered his past.

Huckabee would have set up a network that would have put Obama to shame. The Broken Glass Republicans would have turned out in droves. When I last frequented LGF it had become “Evolution Headquarters” so I give no credence to anything coming from there. Any candidate seen in a secular light like McCain, Thompson and Guiliani aren’t going to have a chance in the General.

You have to get out the vote and Huckabee with the help of Evangelicals did just that in short order and with little money. It is the Country Club Republicans if any who lost us this election. Many of them like Powell supported Obama. We selected our candidate based on “who could beat Hitlery” or who “Democrats might support”. We had great conservatives running who were underfunded and under reported. Until we get our head out of our a$$es and quit playing “American Idol” with the Rats we will continue to lose.


60 posted on 11/05/2008 3:21:58 PM PST by WildcatClan (If we are the one's we have been waiting for, we must be incredibly stupid.)
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