Can the GOP Live Without Social Conservatives?

Cross-Posted at MoreMonmouthMusings.com

In a column posted on GOPUSA.com, David Limbaugh says,

The Republican Party can choose to ostracize social conservatives and their issues, or try to purge them altogether from the party and its platform. But they better be careful what they wish for, because if they do, it will be the end of the party as we know it.

Would that be a bad thing?

Limbaugh says that Christians believe not only that social issues are the most important of the day, but that the underlying disintergration of the nation’s moral fabric is the root of our economic problems. They are probably right. He reports getting emails and reading articles from Christians who want to double down on social issues and some even suggesting that Christians redirect their focus away from politics and toward evangelism.

That is exactly what they should do.

Redirect their focus away from politics and toward evangelism. The GOP should not ostracise social conservatives. Social conservatives should redirect their focus away from politics and toward evangelism because their political efforts are not working. As the election results in Missouri and Indiana suggest, states that Mitt Romney won but where Republican social conservative Senate candidates Todd Akin and Richard Murdock lost very winnable races, the political efforts of social conservatives have become counterproductive.

Social conservatives are losing the political battles because a significant portion of the electorate who agree with their moral point of view and strive to live accordingly don’t believe that religious morality should have the force of secular law. They are losing the cultural battle because they are fighting it politically…attempting to force their moral point of view…rather than evangelically….sharing the Good News with free people who have choices.

Eliminating choices will not convert hearts and minds. Hearts and minds need to be converted freely before social conservatives will live in a world that reflects their moral vision. If that happens, there won’t be much of a political fight about the issues social conservatives consider the most important.

 

Art Gallagher
About Art Gallagher 432 Articles
Art Gallagher is a Highlands businessman, former President at Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce and the force behind the very popular Central Jersey political blog MoreMonmouthMusings.com.

6 Comments

  1. Art Gallagher ought to be ashamed of himself for suggesting that there are political issues that are more important than ending the holocaust that is legalized abortion.

  2. Seamus, I think what Art is suggesting is just that there be separation between political issues and social issues. He is certainly not undermining the importance of social issues, but just recommending that social conservatives target a different audience outside of the political arena. I agree with his statements above. Further, I also believe that as citizens of the United States, we should embrace and abide by the Constitution – including the rights of the individual and separation between church and state. We may not always personally agree with court rulings, but they are mandated by the government and as citizens, we should accept them. We have gotten away from this mentality as time has gone on and that needs to change.

  3. I half agree with you. While I don't see the point in taking up a God will judge America if we let gay marriage be legal flag. I absolutely believe that legalized murder of our unborn SHOULD BE mandated. And that killing our children should not be a choice we as a quasi-free people should be allowed to make.

  4. Killing is not a social issue. It is a human rights issue. If you call it something else you cannot call yourself pro-life. Not that you did, but I'm just saying. Being murdered in the womb is something Republicans take too lightly.r

  5. Slavery was also mandated by our government, but it was wrong and eventually abolished. Can we please stop this nonsense of suggesting that the social issues be abandoned every time a Republican loses an election? The right to life is enshrined in the Founding Document of our Republic. There are some principles that are timeless and this is certainly one of them. Just admit it, the Democrats had a bigger, better and more professional and efficient ground game.

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