[EternalVigilance]

You can’t be a viable party and win major elections if you drive out all but the social conservatives.

"Social conservatives" are the majority in the GOP, and are its ground troops. They are also its conscience.

Ignore your conscience and real bad stuff is going to happen to you. And, as a political party, stiffing your base is the fastest way to lose elections.

[EveningStar]

"Social conservatives" are the majority in the GOP, and are its ground troops. They are also its conscience.

Ignore your conscience and real bad stuff is going to happen to you. And, as a political party, stiffing your base is the fastest way to lose elections.

Social conservatives are not the majority. They are a valuable faction, but they are not the only valuable faction. They are not the base. They are only part of the base. They share the base with the other factions.

[EveningStar]

I keep saying “social conservatives.” That’s inaccurate and unfair. There are plenty reasonable social conservatives.

I should be saying, “all-or-nothing conservatives.”