Reagan coalition must unite

by Ken Blackwell: The Reagan Coalition has been key to Republican victories for a generation. And although the issue of judges and the Supreme Court has been thought of as an issue for social conservatives, recent developments should now make it a top priority for the other major GOP constituencies. If effectively communicated, this issue may help fuel a Republican resurgence. Ever since 1980, politicos speak of the three-legged stool of the Reagan Coalition: social conservatives, economic conservatives and national security conservatives. This coalition has been the key to Republican victories for more than a quarter-century. When the coalition is mobilized by an effective campaign, the GOP prevails. When it is dispirited or disorganized, the GOP fails.

The issue of judges, most especially the Supreme Court, has been the foremost issue for social conservatives for a generation. . . . But recent Supreme Court developments should now make the courts a top issue for economic conservatives and national security conservatives as well, and could change the political equation. . . . Economic conservatives should wake up to this decision as a sign that a 5-4 majority of the four liberals on the Court, plus the Court’s one moderate, are willing to engage in economic policy making through judicial fiat that could have a crippling impact on business. Similarly, the Court has also ventured into uncharted waters on national security. The Supreme Court has recently begun second-guessing the policy judgments of the president and Congress on how to manage national security matters arising from an ongoing war. This is completely unprecedented in American history. . . . [Full Story]

---

Tags: conservatives, fiscal conservatives, national defense conservatives, Reagan Coalition, Ronald Reagan, social conservatives, Supreme Court, Ken Blackwell To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!