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Haley Barbour Tells Pro-Life Republicans to Ditch Social Issues in 2010 Elections
LifeNews.com ^ | September 8, 2010 | Steven Ertelt

Posted on 09/08/2010 11:03:34 AM PDT by julieee

Haley Barbour Tells Pro-Life Republicans to Ditch Social Issues in 2010 Elections

Washington, DC -- Haley Barbour is the latest potential Republican presidential candidate to suggest that social issues like abortion should be taken off the table while making the economy the main focus. Despite the fact that polls show Americans strongly oppose the pro-abortion health care law, Barbour says fiscal issues should take priority.

http://LifeNews.com/nat6683.html

(Excerpt) Read more at LifeNews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2010election; abortion; barbour; conservatism; gop; gopplatform; haleybarbour; platform; republicans; rnc; socialissues
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To: truthfreedom

If you want a wave election in 2012, you can’t alienate half of your voters in 2010. Republicans aren’t giving away free money like Obama will be promising. The people who are against giving away free money are outnumbered by those who want to receive it and in order to defeat them we will need every fiscal and moral conservative voter and a candidate that can lead both to the polls. It appears that Haley doesn’t want to be the candidate.


141 posted on 09/08/2010 10:22:20 PM PDT by excopconservative
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To: excopconservative

He made a comment that really shouldn’t be seen as so bad.

He’s not saying to moderate the position at all, or change the vote, etc etc.

He’s saying that in 2010, if we stay on message, we’ll win. But if we forget the core message this year which is “terrible mess is their fault”, and it’s an economic mess, we run the risk of fighting about something that people don’t care as much about right now.

Social issues as a campaign tool are more useful when other factors aren’t necessarily on your side. And we do have prime wedge issues that we could use with all the gays and the trannies and whatnot. But we don’t need to talk about them before the election.

Barbour does not seem to be suggesting that they govern as anything less than socially conservative, just to talk about the economy, and not crazy men in dresses using the womens room, in the TV commercials.


142 posted on 09/08/2010 10:45:45 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: ansel12

The candidates should have the right conservative positions on the social issues. The social conservatives should be able to find those positions out. They shouldn’t be hidden. But the message focus should be on the economy, jobs, things we hate about every terrible thing that the Democrats did and we the Republicans will not let that continue, things like that.

The social conservatives should be pissed off by what the Dems have been doing for 2 years. That should get them out to vote, especially since their candidates should have the right positions on the social issues, even if they aren’t talking about them as much.


143 posted on 09/08/2010 10:59:12 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: truthfreedom

The pro life movement is also about selling the life message to the public, and presenting it in a positive light.

All of the issues that the Rockefeller/Romney/Daniels/Barbour branch of the party are trying to shutdown, protecting marriage and children, strong national defense, patriotism, gun rights, defending American culture, need to be promoted and sold in every election.

When someone tells you that the Republican party needs to abandon conservatism, remember that it is the same old left/right battle within the GOP, it happens in every single election.


144 posted on 09/08/2010 11:09:39 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12

I don’t know much about Barbour to say that he’s insufficiently conservative.

I don’t think that Barbour is saying to abandon conservatism.

He’s saying stay on message.

You do know the phrase “stay on message”, I’m assuming, yes?

Back in 92 it was famously “it’s the economy, stupid” - which could be reused.

I would not support any move to the left on abortion or the gay stuff. And I don’t think Barbour is suggesting it.


145 posted on 09/08/2010 11:38:50 PM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: julieee; Tabi Katz; rabscuttle385; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; stephenjohnbanker; DoughtyOne; ...

This has been the trend (and GWB legacy) since GWB amplified by Obama, a general distrust of government power. This is ironic because the pro-life/anti-abortion cause is one of the few conservative positions GWB stayed loyal to. He promoted pro-life/anti-abortion big federal government increases in power leading to pro-abortion big federal government by Obama giving the current backlash.

The RINO party is just looking at polls here. I wouldnt trust them on anything.


146 posted on 09/08/2010 11:41:03 PM PDT by sickoflibs ("It's not the taxes, the redistribution is the federal spending=tax delayed")
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To: truthfreedom
He’s saying stay on message. You do know the phrase “stay on message”, I’m assuming, yes? Back in 92 it was famously “it’s the economy, stupid” - which could be reused. I would not support any move to the left on abortion or the gay stuff. And I don’t think Barbour is suggesting it.

He is telling us to avoid the conservative message as the Romney types do in every election.

"It's the Economy Stupid" won Bill Clinton 42.7% of the vote, it takes a little more than a single slogan to win majorities, ask yourself why a coherent politician cannot discuss conservatism as a whole?

The moderate Republicans do this in every election, Barbour is going public in his support of Mitch Daniel's (Romney announced earlier that he himself was dropping social conservatism again) call to surrender on abortion and social issues, they do this every time, it is the eternal battle within the GOP.

Remember this also, it is very difficult to promote an agenda that you did not run on.

147 posted on 09/08/2010 11:51:32 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12

The whole thing is a canard because there will never be a time when there won’t be fights over the economic issues, to say we have to wait until we’ve addressed the economic issues is to say let’s never talk about the moral issues.


148 posted on 09/08/2010 11:55:20 PM PDT by Truthsearcher
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To: Truthsearcher

Exactly, this is a timeless argument by the GOP left.


149 posted on 09/09/2010 12:01:17 AM PDT by ansel12
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To: truthfreedom

I happen to think that it is precise when things are going well economically that people are most opens to talks that tell them not to put all their faith into material things, when things are going really well, most people are too busy making and spending money to worry about morals.

The fact of the matter is, for some politician, it’s never a good time to talk about the social issues. Because they don’t ever want to talk about it, and they can always find a reason why “now is not that time, we can talk about it later after we’ve dealt with the more pressing issues”, later they’ll be another reason why “now is not the time”.


150 posted on 09/09/2010 12:02:21 AM PDT by Truthsearcher
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To: ansel12

Well, I don’t know if your right about all this, but when you bring Romney into it - well, I don’t like Romney.

Romney could’ve been the nominee, probably, had he done the right thing on the gay marriage. But he didn’t and he shouldn’t be.

The social issues should’ve been front and center last Presidential. We didn’t have a winning hand and we needed to talk about something that people did agree with us on.

This time around we’ll win if we stay on message which is Stop Obama pretty much.


151 posted on 09/09/2010 12:04:15 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Truthsearcher

If current patterns hold, the best time to talk about social issues is when we’ve got an incumbent R, the election is all about us, and the voters are getting tired of us. We’ll say “let’s change the subject to one that you might not care that much about, except you, social conservatives, but one that you undoubtedly agree with us on. Democrats want to force businesses to allow crazy men to use the womens room. We don’t.” Or any number of wedge issues.

But right now, the people want to hear about the “economy” about how we want to put a stop to the Democrats unconstitutional legislation, etc etc.

If Obama was trying to push a Gay Marriage Amendment right now, or had just passed some major gay rights legislation, or was pushing for any social hot button issue right now, that’s what people would be pissed off about right now, but Obama isn’t and the people aren’t.


152 posted on 09/09/2010 12:22:15 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: truthfreedom

Yes, let’s only talk about it when people are tired of us and don’t want to listen to us, instead of when people are interested in what we have to say and are looking at us for solutions.

Great strategy.


153 posted on 09/09/2010 12:33:58 AM PDT by Truthsearcher
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To: Truthsearcher

I get it, you think that politicians should act like preachers.

I’m 100% in favor of taking the conservative position on the the 2 main issues - abortion and gay marriage. I 100% resist
moving left at all on those issues.

But I think that you might think that the purpose of campaigning is to lecture the voters about morality.

What you might want to think about is to ask a little bit less for preaching from politicians, and start asking for some legislation. The socons are mighty, but they really should start asking for legislation and stop asking for talk.


154 posted on 09/09/2010 1:07:28 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: Truthsearcher

I want to add a few things. Let’s assume that you’re a socon, and let’s say you can speak for all socons. So, “you” might mean socons.

You really need to do a little more again in actual races. I see tea party this, tea party that. There are a lot of people asking for limited constitutional government. Where are you? What is your organization, what are your organizations, who are the endorsees, where were you this year? Some of your leaders might be sitting on the sidelines because things are going well this year, and the tea party is taking out RINOs who typically are more likely to be pro-choice.

You should be targeting pro choice and pro gay marriage Republicans in the primaries. Get your people in there and take out the bad ones. I want to see that happen. I want to see you use the muscle you did seem to have a while back, with Religious Right, Moral Majority, Christian Coalition.

Theres a race in Delaware that I’m sure you’ve heard about. Do a little bit of research and you’ll know exactly who is the conservative Christian there. You don’t need to whine and be grumpy that politicians aren’t cooing love songs to you.

Do the same thing that the tea party does. The tea party targets RINOs. You target pro choice.


155 posted on 09/09/2010 1:27:35 AM PDT by truthfreedom
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To: julieee
Seems to be the current flavor of the koolaid. Just wait in line a bit long little ones, our pocket books are more important. Ha, maybe our pocket books are askew because our priorities are!
156 posted on 09/09/2010 3:46:08 AM PDT by grame (May you know more of the love of God Almighty this day!)
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To: Sudetenland; ansel12
You are totally clueless. Abortion has been occurring for over 3 decades. It is horrible and it needs to be ended and nobody is debating that, but if we don't act right now to do something about this economy, the abortions will continue, and the lives of those children who are not aborted will also be at risk, as will their parents.

Hmmm...why have you seemingly missed the obvious social hints? Guess what? High taxes & unemployment have been occurring for generations -- not just decades. You do recall a certain time call "The Great Depression" from your history books, doncha?

High taxes and govt boondoggles & govt overreach needs to be stopped; and unemployment needs to be diminished. (Nobody is debating that)...wait a minute...actually liberals are debating that -- just like they debate abortion...Oh, well, your discernment radar seems to be skewed.

But if we don't act right now to do something about this killing off the next generation & opening up marriage to polygamy, etc., govt overreach into funding these types of shenanigans will continue, and the culpability of those taxpayers who otherwise wouldn't fund such atrocities could be held accountable by God for not objecting to both abortion & paying for it!

You need to go back and study the history of the great depression and comprehend just what a horrible time it was. We are inches away from sinking into that abyss and the suffering will be worse, abortions will increase as people decide not to have that child because they cannot afford it.

As I said, you need to go back & study the history of the great depression to know that our poor ways of maintaining an economy is deeply rooted in our culture. What you don't seem to realize was the moral freefall that preceded the depression...cross-dressers in the 20s in Berlin...The German euthanasia program that started in 1919-1920...where they came up with the slogan "life unworthy of life"...And they not only talked about such "unworthy life" but proceeded to set up centers where they start killing such designated people...go ahead...fly to Germany...you can still visit the pre-Nazi center...Margaret Sanger putting out her stuff in the 1910s and 1920s...Havelock Ellis being ahead of even the 1960s sexual revolutionaries back in the same time era...and some of these leaders along with others who participated in the turn-of-the century (19th-->20th) eugenics movement.

May I suggest you do a Google search on the eugenics movement and see what it stood for pre-Great Depression?

You better concentrate on getting a pro-life, anti-abortion President into office so that he can fight that battle instead of reflexively dumping on him because he sees the realities of the political landscape and suggest focusing on the economy. Your entire screed is irrational. Without conservative Republicans in office, abortions will never ever be stopped. Buy a clue.

Hmmm...have you ever noticed that with Republicans in office that abortion hasn't been stopped? (Even in states where Republicans have held a vast majority) Have you noticed that pro-life Bush didn't stop abortion, either?

What's funny is that rhetoric alone hasn't won much on behalf of the pre-born; yet even on the rhetoric you seem to be advocating that it be squelched.

157 posted on 09/09/2010 3:53:24 AM PDT by Colofornian ( If we could CTR, we wouldn't need Jesus to be OUR righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30))
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To: Truthsearcher

I am not sure what I would do never having had the chance to find out. Lord willing He would not let me fall into that trap. Knowing your weaknesses helps, and I LOVE to spend. I guess not ever being able to NOT spend is why. Never made more than 25K in a year and the average person making less than 100k still live paycheck to paycheck.


158 posted on 09/09/2010 4:31:06 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: excopconservative

He’ not doing that....we are FINANCIALLY BANKRUPT BECAUSE WE ARE MORALLY BANKRUPT!!!


159 posted on 09/09/2010 5:20:36 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion......the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: julieee

Yep, he’s gonna run for president in 2012.


160 posted on 09/09/2010 5:22:59 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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