I guess I'm missing something. Most fiscal conservatives are also social conservatives. A few aren't, there are libertarians who are probably keen on fiscal issues and not on social issues.
Is there someone you have in mind who is a fiscal conservative who is in favor of gay marriage and abortion?
Now, to attract Dems, you have to promote fiscal issues, maybe (although you couldn't prove it by me, most Dems are Keynsians). You might convince some Dems on freedom issues, but most are big government folks, big labor, and the like.
You can attract some Dems on security issues, thats probably your best bet. Those were the old Reagan Democrats. A lot of them are already social conservatives, so that may not be the wedge you think it is.
I think there is little to be gained by hiding your beliefs. They can smell you out in an instant anyway, you're better off to go bold.
Hayworth was defeated, yes, but by Republicans. Which is a whole nother problem in Arizona, its a problem we have all over, where conservatives fail... among Repubs. Maybe its just personal, and people just like McCain (hard for me to understand that, but I'm not from Arizona)...
I didn’t get that he was saying to hide your beliefs, only that you shouldn’t emphasize them over fiscal issues.
I disagree about Dems not bein persuadable on fiscal issues. I see that many Dems are coming around to conservative viewpoints (or at least beginning to have doubts about Keynsianism), and now is the time to strike while these issues are in the fore.