In point of fact, candidates who are strong fiscal conservatives while also being social liberals are rarely elected to posts above dogcatcher.
Can't think of a single one, actually.
Can't think of a single one, actually.”
Chris Christie? Despite his recent veto of a same-sex marriage bill in NJ, many people on FR (myself included) view him as a social liberal but a fiscal conservative.
He was smart enough to keep the socons pacified while running a remarkably socially tolerant administration. He was very clever with that - never once appeared at the March for Life, but always sent a tape. Nominated Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy, to balance Scalia and Rhenquist's elevation, and make sure Roe would be protected.
Socons always had a sympathetic ear at Justice, and at HHS, but Education could continue to run wild.
What do YOU remember, other than speeches, that he did to move the socon agenda forward?
I certainly am.
While Reagan was a good deal better than his predecessor, I can't find any indication he actually cut-out full government agencies.
From this article:
Reagan arrived in Washington with a full head of steam, vowing, as he put it in the major economic speech of his 1980 campaign, "to move boldly, decisively, and quickly to control the runaway growth of federal spending." To conservatives, and many others, he seemed destined to fulfill campaign pledges to abolish entire government agencies, rein in the excesses of the welfare state, and end Americans' overreliance on government.and
But after his initial victories on tax cuts and defense, the revolution effectively stalled. Deficits started to balloon, the recession soon deepened, his party lost ground in the 1982 midterms, and thereafter Reagan never seriously tried to enact the radical domestic agenda he'd campaigned on.
It's too bad he mellwed-out/toned-down; we'd honestly be better off if he had... esp. WRT the Dept. of Education.