Posted on 04/22/2014 5:26:46 AM PDT by xzins
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee warned if the Republican Party ignores social issues in the upcoming national elections, then evangelical voters will simply stay home.
The evangelical vote in America has been a key ingredient in deciding who becomes the Republican nominee for president. Polling bears that out.
Yet the social issues near and dear to the hearts of evangelicals are under attack within Republican circles.
A few years ago, former Gov. Mitch Daniels, R-Ind., wanted to declare a truce on the hot button social issues.
"All I was saying was we are going to need to unify all kinds of people. Freedom is going to need every friend it can get," he argued.
That's the line by some within the GOP who say that the only way the party can get more votes and win elections is by staying away from controversial social issues like abortion and gay marriage.
But Huckabee, who's considering running for president in 2016, told CBN News that ditching these issues may cost the GOP evangelical votes.
"It leaves them at home. They just don't go vote, which they didn't do very strongly in 2012. There were fewer evangelical voters who voted for Romney than McCain. If 10 percent more evangelicals had voted for Romney, Romney would be president right now," Huckabee said.
Nevertheless, many in the Republican Party appear intent on phasing out social issues.
Just this past week, the Nevada Republican Party stripped out all language pertaining to abortion and marriage.
And after President Barack Obama won re-election in 2012, a Republican National Committee document concluded the following: "When it comes to social issues, the party must in fact and deed be inclusive and welcoming."
But Huckabee suggested the GOP might want to rethink that strategy.
"This notion of 'don't mention those issues because you might offend the voters who are leaning left,' you better worry about who are you going to leave at home, cool off, and completely chill out the voters who just will say, 'Well, I really don't have anyone to carry the issues that matter for me,'" Huckabee warned.
Huckabee insists that social conservative candidates will need to stand firmly for their values and convince the party that issues like marriage and abortion are an important part of the total equation.
"I think it's a mistake to think that younger voters are going to make their entire election decisions on a candidate's position on same-sex marriage," Huckabee predicted.
"If a candidate can articulate the reason he's for traditional biblical marriage is because of his biblical viewpoint, then will they hold that against them anymore than they would hold it against a Muslim who won't eat pork or drink liquor? If they do, then the problem is bigger than what the position is; it's why they hold the position," he added.
I just wish gay marriage isn’t an issue with conservatives. I know gay couples and they are wonderful. Now, what I’m saying I’d that in both 2014 and 2016, we are facing important elections. Us Conservatives could stay home (if the right people don’t win) or we can vote for candidates who might not be strong conservative (maybe 90%) or let a liberal win who will vote against us 100% of the time.
I never really thought about the 5th Amendment in terms of abortion - good point!
But there is a huge difference between gay couples and gay marriages and civil unions. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
So you just flat out want gay marriage, I noticed you just ignored abortion.
It takes a strong government to impose that on America, something that you clearly support as Obama created gay marriage at the federal level.
By the way, you are no conservative so quit claiming to be.
I’ll always vote but I may not have anyone to vote for. Theres just has many non social issue reasons to not vote for the GOPE. For example, No one primaried my rep and he unabashedly votes for Boehner so I’ll just have to hope there’s some candidate from another party. If Bevin does not beat Mammoth McConnell, who has more cave in him than our National Park, I’m changing my registration. But I’ll always show up at the polls.
IMHO I’m NOT going to give up my views. I’m going to support small government fiscal conservatives and I’ll support social conservative when the other candidates are Marxists.
I am a SMALL GOVERNMENT FISCAL Conservative. I have always been it.
Then why are you supporting the homosexual agenda and gay marriage and social liberalism, and I have to assume abortion and libertarianism against conservatism?
That is a formula for big, intrusive government, more benefits in federal government and for federal employees, more welfare and social programs, and everything the left wants.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.