Are they the “core” of the Republicans? Funny, I would have said all of the Reagan Republicans who went on to put the Contract with America Republicans (and Bill Clinton) in power were more of the core of the 80s and 90s Republican party. Individual liberty, individual responsibility, fiscal responsibility – not Republican representatives who spend money like Tipp O’Neil – etc. How about national security? That might have been an issue in the Reagan/Carter election.

Prayer in schools, 10 commandments on courthouse lawns and the gay cooties issues are NOT what drove the core of the Republicans in the 80s and 90s. They certainly aren’t issues that speak to the up and coming generations.

(Oh, and thanks for the link!)

For all that we can find some common cause with the SoCons on the occasional personal liberty issue like guns, we have a very, very different view of what should be government’s priorities. We think the proper role of government is to defend the country, provide some infrastructure, and otherwise get the hell out of the way; they think the proper role of government is to preserve and defend American culture, as they define it, even if that means codifying their cultural tics into law.

Though now we have those ‘radical islam cooties’ to deal with.

It’s a matter of individual freedom, as long as it comes with individual responsibility. One might discuss the right to abortion issue in these terms as well…though that might be a little tricky regarding rights (of unborn).

At any rate….I have often told people that if they don’t like guns, then they should choose not to own one. Perhaps the same for being gay…if you don’t like homosexuality, then choose not to be gay. But it’s increasingly unpopular to force one’s own version of morality upon everyone else … and this is one thing that the social conservatives are bound to loose on (politically).