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Anti-social Conservatives
The American Spectator ^ | November 10, 2008 | W. James Antle III

Posted on 11/10/2008 5:43:23 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative

It was only a matter of time. First Sarah Palin and the Wasilla hillbillies were charged with spending John McCain's political capital faster than they could max out credit cards at Neiman Marcus. Now blame for the Republican electoral debacle has been extended to all the rubes who are said to populate the religious right.

Even some right-leaning pundits are getting into the act. Beliefnet's Steven Waldman warned before the election that "religious conservatives will have to grapple with their role in electing Obama" since they supposedly vetoed pro-abortion Joe Lieberman, whom Al Gore found to be a sure ticket to the White House, for vice president.

In his post-election column for the National Post, David Frum counseled Republicans to embrace "a future that is less overtly religious, less negligent with policy, and less polarizing on social issues," a move that will "involve painful change" on such issues as abortion. There will be more college-educated social liberals whose values must not be threatened by Republicans, he argues, than Joe the Plumbers who are threatened by Democrats.

"Consider the nature of the Republican failure. That old rallying point, social conservatism, simply didn't draw the masses in 2008," Amity Shlaes concluded. "Truth be told, the pro-life line and appeals to piety often backfired."

If the Republicans are ever going to win another national election, they must engage in less pandering to conservative Christians on traditional values. Or at the very least, Christopher Caldwell advises, stop identifying traditional values with "the values of the U-Haul-renting denizens of two-year-old churches and three-year-old shopping malls."

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; elite; mccain; rinos; rockefellerwing; sarahpalin; socialconservatives
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1 posted on 11/10/2008 5:43:23 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
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To: St. Louis Conservative

Bullshit.


2 posted on 11/10/2008 5:45:52 AM PST by FrogMom (Lord, help us all!)
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To: FrogMom

ditto.


3 posted on 11/10/2008 5:47:07 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: St. Louis Conservative

This is called re-framing. It’ bunk being peddled by those to blame for the losses.

Gay marriage was shot down all over the place. Conservatism was not to blame. Moderate views like this were...


4 posted on 11/10/2008 5:47:23 AM PST by Khepri (NEO-STALIN FASCIST DEFEATS NEO-LIBERAL MAOIST!! How's that working for yah?)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

“There will be more college-educated social liberals whose values must not be threatened by Republicans, he argues, than Joe the Plumbers who are threatened by Democrats.”

Toilet backed up? Call Obama


5 posted on 11/10/2008 5:48:16 AM PST by listenhillary (That giant sucking sound? It's only the government consuming the fruits of our labor.)
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To: Khepri
Gay marriage was shot down all over the place

Not by much in CA.

6 posted on 11/10/2008 5:49:18 AM PST by listenhillary (That giant sucking sound? It's only the government consuming the fruits of our labor.)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

Who writes this infantile nonsense, anyway?


7 posted on 11/10/2008 5:49:36 AM PST by darkangel82 (I don't have a superiority complex, I'm just better than you.)
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To: listenhillary

But we’ll see how many “college-indoctrinated social liberals” get investigated using government resources because they asked a tough question that embarasses someone in power.


8 posted on 11/10/2008 5:49:51 AM PST by MrB (The 0bamanation: Marxism, Infanticide, Appeasement, Depression, and Thuggery)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

If the major parties want to continue to run pro-abortion liberals, they will continue to lose the social/religious conservative vote. They cannot blame anyone but themselves.


9 posted on 11/10/2008 5:49:55 AM PST by TommyDale (I) (Never forget the Republicans who voted for illegal immigrant amnesty in 2007!)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

I see picking Lieberman worked out well for Gore didn’t it.; )


10 posted on 11/10/2008 5:50:30 AM PST by Boiling point (If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates.)
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To: Khepri
Conservatism was not to blame. Moderate views like this were...

BINGO

11 posted on 11/10/2008 5:51:13 AM PST by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

If the “overtly religious tone” of the Republican campaign (which wasn’t) was the cause of all this, then why did the Dems feel it necessary to cloak their rhetoric in pseudo-religious garb, and why did they so actively try to court Evangelicals?


12 posted on 11/10/2008 5:51:22 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Nihil utile nisi quod honestum - Marcus Tullius Cicero)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

Or, a Christian Conservative Party could be launched in which those who follow the traditional Christian way of life could vote their consciences. That is always the possibility that secular Republicans should keep in mind.


13 posted on 11/10/2008 5:51:32 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: St. Louis Conservative
Why does America need TWO liberal parties?
14 posted on 11/10/2008 5:52:01 AM PST by Sybeck1 (Million Minuteman March (Spring 2009))
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To: St. Louis Conservative

No, I am an Anti-socialist Conservative.


15 posted on 11/10/2008 5:52:50 AM PST by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

We heard similar crap after Carter and Clinton were elected. It’s a 16-year cycle dating back to 1960 — “America is in a new age of idealism,” blah, blah, blah!!! We, the nation, will self-correct, folks.


16 posted on 11/10/2008 5:53:44 AM PST by ScottinVA (Gloucester County, VA -- Making a stand for America: 63% for McCain/Palin)
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To: listenhillary
Not by much in CA.

Obama won California by nearly 24%, yet Prop 8 passed by at least 3% (not sure what the final tally ended up being). You do the math.

17 posted on 11/10/2008 5:53:47 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Nihil utile nisi quod honestum - Marcus Tullius Cicero)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

What crap! Republicans did not lose because they were too conservative. They lost by becoming sudo democrats and nominating a complete moron who put being politically correct ahead of winning the damn election. If nothing else maybe we can rid our selves of these idiot moderates. The only light to come out of this stupid nomination was Sara Palin.


18 posted on 11/10/2008 5:54:50 AM PST by ontap (Just another backstabbing conservative)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

Oh, Jeez! Not this elitist, bash the Christians stuff again.


19 posted on 11/10/2008 5:55:02 AM PST by LiberConservative (Typical white guy)
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To: St. Louis Conservative
the values of the U-Haul-renting denizens of two-year-old churches and three-year-old shopping malls

I hate elitists!
20 posted on 11/10/2008 5:56:17 AM PST by GodBlessRonaldReagan (Wakka-ding-hoy - battle cry of the Plexus Rangers!)
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