Fighting For Our Values

Gary Bauer

  Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: All day yesterday I attended a strategy meeting of leaders representing every segment of the conservative movement -- values issues, economic conservatives, libertarians, foreign policy conservatives and Tea Party leaders. These meetings are held several times a year, and the ground rules are that the deliberations, for obvious reasons, are off-the-record and not to be shared with the media.

Nevertheless, the Washington Post had a front page story this morning about the meeting. Fortunately it did not report details of what was said. But since the Post has reported that the meeting took place, I am comfortable letting you know that I was participating on behalf of those of you who support our work.

I will not violate the guidelines of the meeting. But I can tell you that in a larger gathering of conservatives that will take place this weekend, there is widespread concern about the Republican establishment's continued drift away from the sanctity of life, the defense of normal marriage, religious liberty and the other issues that motivate at least half of the GOP base.

The reason for this concern is obvious. In fact, the Washington Post quoted a Republican operative who is one of those advocating for a retreat from values issues.

"What's clear is that we ought to be focusing on economic security for the future, not divisive social issues. That's how we lost several key Senate races last cycle and plays into the Democrats' hand," the consultant told the Post. He used to be the communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Sometimes I think the party operatives in D.C. are living in an alternative universe. None of our Senate candidates won or lost because they built their entire campaigns on abortion or marriage. A few seats were lost because our candidates did a terrible job explaining their pro-life views.

As far as running campaigns on economic security, that was the entire theme of President Romney's campaign. Whoops, that's right -- he didn't win. That was the theme of President McCain's campaign. Oh right. He didn't win either.

These "professionals" are leaving the entire values playing field to the left. If our candidates don't talk about values and don't expose the Democrats' extremism on abortion, marriage and religious liberty, then they are leaving those issues to the tender mercies of Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

The public is being told that values means supporting "marriage equality." In other words, throwing out thousands of years of history, deeply held religious values and common sense.

When we don't talk about values, the media tell us that "pro-life" means a "war on women." Running soft ads with our wives and daughters is not a sufficient response to the left's vicious smears.

And what about that economic agenda these GOP consultants tell candidates to focus on? I saw polling yesterday that once again confirms everything I have seen over the last five years. The Democrat Party owns the "middle class."

For example, voters were asked which party they trusted most to help the middle class. (By the way, most Americans believe they are middle class.) By a 20-point margin, (52% to 32%) voters chose the Democrats.

How can that be if we are talking non-stop about economic security? Where is the disconnect? The problem is that the GOP's ideas are often presented in ways that allow the left and the media to frame the debate. They get to say, "We are on the side of struggling families. But Republicans want to make sure billionaires don't pay a dollar more in taxes. We want to protect your Social Security check, but they want to cut it."

Again, folks, don't misunderstand me. I am an economic conservative too. I know that Social Security needs reform. I know our budget problems do not stem from a lack of revenue. But after two campaigns focused almost exclusively on economics, what do we have to show for it?

In spite of all the talk about the country being against us on values, the latest Rasmussen poll finds the country is evenly divided on the meaning of marriage. But the latest Rasmussen poll finds that 51% of adults support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, while just 39% does not.

Fifty-eight percent of the country believes abortion ought to be restricted. Most oppose taxpayer funding and late-term abortions. Less than 30% of the public agrees with the abortion-on-demand position of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

My point is simply this: Values issues are not nearly as divisive as many consultants seem to think. But the GOP is very likely losing middle class voters because elements of its economic agenda are a hard sell. A much harder sell than our values agenda.

If the party establishment keeps aiming its fire at folks who believe in the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty, this country will be perpetually governed by leftist, socialist Democrats. Without values voters, the GOP is not going to win another election.

One man showed us how this party can win. That was Ronald Reagan. Make the economic case. Make the values case. Make the case for a strong America. That is a winning message.

The circular firing squad we all too often suffering through needs to stop.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the  Campaign for Working Families

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