>>He basically said we have to give up our basic principles (pro-life, pro-family, pro-religion) to win the election.<<
He said no such thing. And I’ll stand by that until you produce a direct quote of his that shows that I’m wrong. Not an “interpretation” of what he really meant, but a quote that demonstrates his rejection of pro-life, pro-family principles.
I can’t speak to his religious beliefs, nor do I care to. That’s his business, not mine, so long as he’s not trying to force his religious beliefs, or non-beliefs, on me.
Rand did come out against social conservatism, he wants it out of the party.
Q—There was a consensus among young people at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference that the GOP needs to get out of social issues. Do you agree?
“I think it’s partly that.”
Q— it seems what they’re saying is that the Republican Party should stay out of issues like gay marriage.
“I think that the Republican Party, in order to get bigger, will have to agree to disagree on social issues. The Republican Party is not going to give up on having quite a few people who do believe in traditional marriage. But the Republican Party also has to find a place for young people and others who don’t want to be festooned by those issues.”
Q—As a libertarian, you believe in the sovereignty of the individual. But when it comes to the right for gays to marry, you said it should be left up to the states. Isn’t that a contradiction?
“On issues that are very contentious, that involve social mores—I think that allowing different parts of the country to make their decision based on the local mores and culture is a good idea. But when it comes to taxes and benefits, the [federal] government out to take a neutral position—a way where marriage wouldn’t have an effect, positive or negative, on those things.”