“Republicans are hurting themselves by focusing on social issues”
I agree. When politicians start talking about family values et. al., it’s usually either because they’re avoiding real issues or because nothing’s pressing. As there’s no way we live in unpressing times, we’re avoiding. Everybody knows Republicans are against abortion and homosxual marriage and think Western Civilization has been crumbling (or at least sliding); move on, already.
Two points, though. One is that Democrats and their willing accomplices will force “social issues” to the forefront whether or not Republicans willingly follow. For it is in their interest, as they see it, to paint us as neanderthals “turning back the clock” to anti-sodomy laws and backalley abortions. Another is that since, apart from Romneycare, there’s no substantive policy distinction between Santorum and Romney, Santy’s gotta grab the Christian Soldier mantle.
I don’t know if it’s so much that Santorum wants to be the social conservative alternative, or that he’s stumbling into liberal traps like answering honestly about Griswold v. Connecticut. Either way, it’s all a distraction.
Actually it sees to me that he isn’t the one stumbling into a trap so much as those who have suddenly decided to take the leftist position of silencing Christianity.
You are correct and this is one of the few cogent replies on this thread. Every time Mitch Daniels says the same thing, folks on this board lambaste him with boiling spit, but the fact is that the most important issue is to stop the steady slide of our Republic into a socialist quagmire. If the Republicans prefer their precious social issues to basic liberty and freedom, they will lose to Obama once again and we the people are likely to lose everything we cherish. Once our liberty is gone, there will be no discussion of any social issues, other than “social justice”.