[AnotherUnixGeek]

As far as I can tell, traditional GOP values have included social conservatism. It is only of late that some have attempted to remove social conservatism from the 'list' of GOP values. If you have some documentation that says otherwise, I'd be interested.

I have no documentation on the subject, but my perception is that the driving force for social conservatism in today's GOP comes from southern Baptists who left the Democratic Party (or saw the Democratic Party leave them) during the '60s and '70s. Social conservatism is not all there is to traditional GOP values - strong foreign and defense policies, espousal of free markets and capitalism, and skepticism and opposition to big government are also pillars of GOP values.

[MEGoody]

Social conservatism is not all there is to traditional GOP values - strong foreign and defense policies, espousal of free markets and capitalism, and skepticism and opposition to big government are also pillars of GOP values.

I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, there are those within the GOP who would like to silence those holding socially conservative positions. They don't tend to argue about those other positions - for the most part they agree with them (except, of course the truthers and the like). But they want the so-con issues shut down.