As others have noted, people like Rick Santorum (not to mention my own former Senator, Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois) were elected U.S. Senator as unapologetic social conservatives. They didn't forfeit any social issues. Ditto with Governors, like Don Carceli of Rhode Island, who was a socially conservative Governor of the one of most Democrat states in the nation from 2002-2010. This is another article repeating the silly myth that "only RINOs can win in Democrat states". Note that it never works the other way around. Kathleen Selibus was elected Governor of the strongest GOP states in the nation, Kansas. According to this article's logic, she must therefore be a social conservative and national Democrats shouldn't nominate her for anything. But of course the rules for GOP candidates running in the opposition's turf will NEVER apply to Democrats in GOP turf.
My point was that Congressmen are not included in the writer’s position.