Sunday, December 20, 2009

Social Conservatives Are Coming In Handy Lately

Jenifer Rubin at Contentions has an interesting observation regarding the health care bill battle..

There are several noteworthy aspects to all of this. First, we have heard a lot in the last year from some snooty ostensibly-conservative pundits who would like to rearrange the conservative coalition and dump social conservatives overboard. However, the health-care bill is as good an example as we will find as to why this is politically idiotic. Here we see that it is social conservatives who remain the last men and women standing against liberal economic- and social-engineering projects. The numbers may just not be there for Stupak to disrupt the juggernaut, but it is instructive that the final battle is likely to be over abortion subsidies, not taxes or any other economic issue. Perhaps it’s not a good idea for conservatives to tell some of their most stalwart allies to get lost.

4 comments:

m.z. said...

Since when has Stupak been a social conservative? He opposes abortion. He isn't a GOPer. Quite frankly this debate has proven how worthless social conservatives are; they can only be counted on walking with the GOP and not with the unborn.

James H said...

M.Z.

I am not sure how this debate shows that social conservatives can only be counted on walking the GOP and not the unborn.

It is true that Stupak is not a GOPer but Republican pro-lifers were also holdking the line on this issue.

THey not might grab the headlines right now because well we don'[t have the numbers but just because CNN did not highlight them speaking iun the House well does not mean they were not doing it

m.z. said...

Only one pro-life GOPer has voted for health care reform. That Cao. In the Stupak form, health care reform was the greatest advance for opposition to abortion since Roe v. Wade. Still, only one Socon (and some would debate Coa conservative credentials) was willing to come on board. Numbers don't lie.

James H said...

M.Z.

Of course many GOP social conservatives had other objections to the bill. i MEAN LOOK AT THE POLLING DATA NO ONE LIKES THIS.

Further it is not just about elected officals. A lot of SOcial Conservative GOPers have been doing our part every day to educate the public about the abortion issue in this bill. Were we alone? No of course not. But the media did not catch on till the last moment that abortion was a huge issue here. That is because a lot of us were working the public outside the Beltway.

THe larger point is this that the writer is making. That is there are some factions in the GOP that would love social conservative to disappear. If they did it would be eletoral success. These are mostly moderates and that libertarian leaning faction. Thankfully this is a reminder we are needed and useful at times.

I think social conservatives have a place in both parties. I view that as a good thing