I want to like the Republican Party. I really do.
Last week, Regan Williams’ article, “Republican Party must sever tea party connections,” claimed that the tea party candidates are “too extreme” and that the GOP needs to focus on “winning issues,” not social issues. Mr. Williams’ assertions were contradictory: He claimed economic issues are the only ones voters care about, but then declared the GOP’s stance on same-sex marriage is “not winning,” so the GOP should just drop it.
If conservatives – the GOP and the tea party – ignore social issues, we allow the left to frame their debate. For example, as Democrats proudly tout their support of late-term abortion, establishment Republicans face a choice: awkwardly try to change the subject to jobs or go on the offensive against extremists whose views are totally out of line with those of most Americans.
There’s overwhelming support for a late-term abortion ban, particularly among women and young people. Gallup reported in June that a whopping 80 percent of Americans oppose third trimester abortions, which are legal thanks to Doe v. Bolton. According to the National Opinion Research Center, the second most pro-life age group, after those over 65, is people under 35.
The GOP has work to do regarding the issue of marriage, but that’s no reason to give up. In order to be principled, conservatives must recognize that fiscal and social conservatism go hand-in-hand. Promoting a strong marriage culture means children will grow up under better economic circumstances – with a married mother and father. The U.S. Bureau of the Census’s American Community Survey indicates that being raised in a married family reduces the probability of child poverty by around 80 percent.
In Virginia, phony, often unanswered messaging about conservative Ken Cuccinelli’s social conservatism was a factor in his loss. But staunchly anti-abortion and pro-marriage Cuccinelli won 18-24 year-old voters by six points. Social issues aren’t a lost cause with the millennial generation at all.
Democrats in California just succeeded in passing an absurd choose-your-own-bathroom law, which allows schoolchildren starting in kindergarten to use the facilities that correspond with “his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.” Hey, if a 6-year-old girl feels like a man one day, she should be able to use the guy’s bathroom, right? After all, 6-year-olds are mature enough to understand everything about their sexuality and gender identity, aren’t they? And no high school boy is going to take advantage of this easy access to the girl’s locker room. No, no, of course not.
Social liberals ignore basic biology to accommodate gender-confused 8-year-olds; across the country, they are bullying Christian photographers, florists and bakers who refuse to celebrate same-sex “weddings” out of business; they are shutting down Catholic adoption agencies that refuse to violate their religion to adopt children to same-sex couples. This is the kind of madness that Democrats will get away with if we surrender social policy to them.
Claire Chretien is a junior majoring in public relations and American studies. Her column runs biweekly on Tuesdays.
