The Conservative Puzzle
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council: Fiscal conservatives who have recently signaled they were ready to abandon--if not blow up their compact with--social conservatives, now appear to be in full retreat after their fiscal and defense candidate, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, brought up the rear in the latest GOP primary. In an op-ed on Real Clear Politics, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey now worries that social conservatives who support Mike Huckabee are threatening the "long standing unity" of social, fiscal, and defense conservatives. How is this possible if, as Armey previously suggested, social conservatives and their issues are not important? The coalition only survives if the policy concerns of all three coalition members are given equitable treatment and focus. Clearly the message of Mike Huckabee and his present success have made clear that Republicans can succeed only if social conservatives are a part of the coalition--and they will only be a part of the coalition if their issues are given the priority they deserve.ARRA Editor: While in the Republican Party the social conservative message is equally important and cannot be ignored, positions that advance fiscal socialism or ignore national security will also lead to failure. Social conservatives cannot assume that economic or pro-national defense conservatives, even if they are also social conservatives, will blindly follow a "social conservative" candidate if that candidate's message or past record appears to ingnore the economic and national defense or even potentially hints as further movements to the "left."
Tags: Christian Conservative, conservative, Economic, FRC, National Defense, social conservatives, Tony Perkins To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 9:26 AM - Post Link
2 Comments:
Conservatives in Arkansas are expressing exasperation about the Republican primary results and outlook. And this sentiment is being expressed across the country. The Republican field of candidates is offering only two choices: 1) conservative principles without leadership savvy or 2) leadership savvy without conservative principles. Thompson and Hunter, the two most conservative candidates, can’t get traction and win voter confidence in their leadership abilities.
It is too early and ill advised to write off the election season as a bust for conservative hopes. Being a resilient lot of folks and committed to their principles that lower taxes, less government, high moral standards, and personal responsibility are best for everyone; conservatives will fight for what is right regardless of who wins the primaries and general election. But we must fight smarter.
Now is the time to rally around not only conservative principles but around a strategy of goals that will lead to success for conservatism. The need for smart conservative leadership is more apparent than ever during this political season.
The Arkansas Republican Assembly (ARRA)and The National Republican Assemblies are posed to help advance the conservative agenda and is calling on all conservatives in the states to join in the effort to create solutions and fight smart.
The ARRA mission is to strengthen the Republican party by 1) recruiting and chartering members, 2) developing party leadership, 3) endorsing and supporting conservative candidates, and 4) aiding officials who share our beliefs and principles.
I am hopeful that this lack of leadership savvy with social/economic conservative values in the Republican field will rally conservatives to action.
I agree with Annon. I would also like to add that while I don't know too much about Hunter, I do know quite a bit about Thompson and so far the only thing I see "wrong" with either one of these guys is that they don't have all the bells and whistles of the media darlings.
In terms of social conservatives, what good is the pro-life movement without national security? The issue is mute if we can't even reproduce do to being blown to smithereens or are sterile due to toxicity from a dirty bomb. What good is the pro-life movement without fiscal conservatism if people can't afford to take care of future children.
The social conservatives need fiscal and pro-defense conservatives more than the other way around.
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