[detritus]

Social Conservatives provide the same sort of energy for Republican candidates that the public employee unions do for the Democrats. Recall that Bush almost lost in 2000 when on the eve of the election they Democrats sprung their little drunk driving trap.

They pick up their marbles and went home the first time the opposition threw a little dirt? Yeah, that's just the kind of "energy" I want behind me....

[RobbyS]

Social Conservatives have been a mainstay since 1980. This despite the willingness of “Ford” (moderate) Republicans to sabotage their agenda. Bush’s whole campaign was based on the image of a candidate who despite his elite background was “one” with the broad middle class, and a reformed playboy who had come clean. The question that immediately came to mind was: are we being played again for a sucker? The reaction was not unlike that of libertarians who HAd been played for a sucker by George H.W. Bush, and who DID bolt en masse, support Ross Perot, and DID elect Bill Clinton in 1992.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

They pick up their marbles and went home the first time the opposition threw a little dirt? Yeah, that's just the kind of "energy" I want behind me....

Sort of like the libertarians who took their marbles (the ones they hadn't lost, I suppose) and went to Perot, thus giving us Clinton?

[ansel12]

See post 135 to see who was voting for Gore and against Gore in 2000.

Social conservatives voted against Gore, anti-social conservatives voted for Gore.