my experice has been the opposite. If a person goes for the balkanized conservative approache then they are just a rino and rejected.
conservative is conservative there is no scocial vs ecconomic vs pothead or whatever balkanizing.
The content of a politicians character carries over from all aspects be they ecconomic or scocial.
Homosexuals have ALWAYS been able to do power of attorneys and cohabitation agreements. CHEAP.
Given current primaries it seems the RINOs who reject social issues are an endaged species. Ask Charlie Christ, Arlen Specter, and on and on.
Anecdotal experience is just BS, the proof is in the elections. NC even outlawed marriage lite civil unions. smart.
You may have something there. There are 2 possibilities. Either the electorate is rejecting social conservatism OR the media wants to buy into that narrative, whether true or not.