Agorism
09-19-2010, 10:41 PM
Article on the convention (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42370.html)
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In the midst of an election year dominated by fiscal issues, a group of social conservative activists and politicians gathered in Washington to send an unmistakable message to both the media and their own party: we won’t take a back seat.
From the ballroom podium to the corridors of the Omni Shoreham, the conservative Christians who attended the Family Research Council’s Values Voter summit this weekend said even though concerns over spending may be fueling activists on the right at the moment , the country and the GOP coalition still depended on cultural conservatives.
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Attendees here welcomed the fiscally driven tea party activists to the Republican fold, but said urgent concerns about the growth of government and deficits didn’t mean that the GOP should shelve efforts on morality-based issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
While reluctant to criticize Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels by name, speaker after speaker implicitly criticized the potential presidential candidate’s suggestion that the next president call a “truce” on hot-button cultural issues to focus on budget-related matters.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the two most vociferous critics of this view also happened to finish atop the conference’s presidential straw poll.
"Those who would have us ignore the battle being fought over life, marriage and religious liberty have forgotten the lessons of history,” said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) in his speech Friday. "America's darkest moments have come when economic arguments trumped moral principles.”
"We must realize there's a direct correlation between the stability of families and the stability of our economy," former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said in his address the same day. "I'm so tired of people telling me we don't want to hear about issues of the family."
Pence, in a surprise, won the straw poll with 24 percent, narrowly edging Huckabee, who took 22 percent and finished 11 votes behind the Hoosier. The next closest contender was Mitt Romney, who won 13 percent.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, speaking to reporters after announcing the results, praised Pence's devotion to both fiscal and social conservatism and said he was "the type of candidate values voters will be looking for."
This is, however, a moment of uncertainty for cultural conservatives. After serving as the key energy force in the conservative movement since the rise of the New Right in the late 1970s, their issues are receiving little attention and their influence within the party seems reduced by the tea party arrivistes.
Polls show that the new, fiscal-focused conservative activists also share traditional views on social issues, but it’s plainly not what drives them.
Instead, they’re focused on more fundamental issues relating to the role of the federal government and trying to thwart what they see as the Obama administration and Democratic Congress’s attempt to impose European-style social democracy on America.
This combined with President Barack Obama’s lack of attention on gay rights and abortion rights and demographic changes that mark the apparent end to the backlash against the perceived excesses of the 1960s have translated into a cease-fire in the culture wars.
But social conservatives here said that if the GOP takes back control of the House or Senate this November, they won’t tolerate compromise with Democrats on cultural matters.
Perkins said he expected a new Republican majority in the House to push back against any attempt to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against gays in the military and legislation to restrict businesses from discriminating against gay employees.
But Perkins admitted that social conservatives were only playing defense at the moment. “We’d build the wrong expectations if we said, ‘Here is our agenda, this is what we want to do.’”
Before they can even play defense on policy, though, Christian conservatives must first fend off any attempt from within the GOP to marginalize their agenda politically.
The consensus among the establishment wing of the Republican Party is that to do anything but run against the purported fiscal excesses of the Democratic majority is folly.
“Any issue that takes people’s eye off of unemployment, job creation, economic growth, taxes, spending, deficits, debts is taking your eye off the ball,” said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour — the Republican Governors Association chairman — earlier this month.
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Barbour defended his social conservative bona fides, but said those issues simply weren’t what the electorate was focused on this year. But many cultural conservatives worry that by ignoring the “pro-family” agenda, Republicans may dampen enthusiasm in a midterm election among the voters who primarily vote for GOP candidates because of social issues such as abortion.
“That's not only wrong, that's dumb because we need the social conservatives as well as the fiscal conservatives to take those seats in November,” said conservative grand dame Phyllis Schlafly in her Saturday speech, referring to the “truce.”
Such activists at the conference warned that Republican leaders ought not leave out cultural concerns of their agenda.
Joe Walker, a Binghamton, N.Y., resident and Huckabee supporter, said he was concerned about reports that congressional Republicans may not include social issues in their “contract” to be released next week. “If they take that out, it’s going to come back to bite them,” Walker said, adding, “You can’t take Jesus out of politics.”
Leigh-Ann Bellew, a Huckabee backer from Union Beach, N.J., said social conservatives are focusing their energies on electing candidates who are willing to talk openly about abortion and other such morality issues.
“If they ignore the (social) issues, they’re not going to fix the problems,” said Bellew of GOP leaders. “It took us generations to get into these problems, and it’s going to take generations to get out.”
Bellew illustrates why, even though their influence may be on the wane for now, social conservatives remain upbeat. She helped staff phone banks for Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell — who is strongly identified with the cultural conservative wing of the party — in the primary and will return to the First State to help the Republican in the general election. “Luckily, there are candidates talking about the social issues,” Bellew said.
Even while they may be fueled by fiscal issues, many other tea party-powered Republican hopefuls this year also happen to be staunch social conservatives. And, especially in the case of O’Donnell, they’re not afraid to discuss their views on cultural issues.
The Delawarean was a big hit at the summit Friday, even as she used much of her speech on a class-based theme.
Absent here was perhaps the most powerful force on the right at the moment, Sarah Palin. The Alaskan has yet to attend either the Values Voter conference or CPAC, the two major gatherings of social conservatives.
Her appeal, of course, transcends such confabs. But even if she doesn’t show, that doesn’t mean the activists won’t send her a message.
She finished well behind Huckabee here last year and came in fifth in the presidential balloting this year.
But FRC added a vice-presidential preference question this year and Palin came in a telling close second to Pence in that category.
The desire for her to be vice president but not president reflects an oft-repeated view among GOP activists that, while they want her to be a party leader, they don’t necessarily want her to be president.
Perkins, in a bit of candor that some conservative leaders don’t always voice, called Palin “a great spokesman” and added that "she says what a lot of people think."
"But you know a lot of people sometimes realize we shouldn't say everything we think," he continued. "Maybe it is that she is more of a cheerleader and one who rallies conservatives together as opposed maybe to being their top choice for president."
http://images.politico.com/global/news/100918_pence_vvs_reut_605.jpg
In the midst of an election year dominated by fiscal issues, a group of social conservative activists and politicians gathered in Washington to send an unmistakable message to both the media and their own party: we won’t take a back seat.
From the ballroom podium to the corridors of the Omni Shoreham, the conservative Christians who attended the Family Research Council’s Values Voter summit this weekend said even though concerns over spending may be fueling activists on the right at the moment , the country and the GOP coalition still depended on cultural conservatives.
Continue Reading
Text Size
* -
* +
* reset
Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com Listen
Latest on POLITICO
* O'Donnell jokes about witch story
* Cuomo surrogates to slam Paladino
* How would Boehner keep House?
* U.S. denies Iran reports
* Kaine: Don't run from health care
* Clyburn: Dems will hold Congress
POLITICO 44
Attendees here welcomed the fiscally driven tea party activists to the Republican fold, but said urgent concerns about the growth of government and deficits didn’t mean that the GOP should shelve efforts on morality-based issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
While reluctant to criticize Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels by name, speaker after speaker implicitly criticized the potential presidential candidate’s suggestion that the next president call a “truce” on hot-button cultural issues to focus on budget-related matters.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the two most vociferous critics of this view also happened to finish atop the conference’s presidential straw poll.
"Those who would have us ignore the battle being fought over life, marriage and religious liberty have forgotten the lessons of history,” said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) in his speech Friday. "America's darkest moments have come when economic arguments trumped moral principles.”
"We must realize there's a direct correlation between the stability of families and the stability of our economy," former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said in his address the same day. "I'm so tired of people telling me we don't want to hear about issues of the family."
Pence, in a surprise, won the straw poll with 24 percent, narrowly edging Huckabee, who took 22 percent and finished 11 votes behind the Hoosier. The next closest contender was Mitt Romney, who won 13 percent.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, speaking to reporters after announcing the results, praised Pence's devotion to both fiscal and social conservatism and said he was "the type of candidate values voters will be looking for."
This is, however, a moment of uncertainty for cultural conservatives. After serving as the key energy force in the conservative movement since the rise of the New Right in the late 1970s, their issues are receiving little attention and their influence within the party seems reduced by the tea party arrivistes.
Polls show that the new, fiscal-focused conservative activists also share traditional views on social issues, but it’s plainly not what drives them.
Instead, they’re focused on more fundamental issues relating to the role of the federal government and trying to thwart what they see as the Obama administration and Democratic Congress’s attempt to impose European-style social democracy on America.
This combined with President Barack Obama’s lack of attention on gay rights and abortion rights and demographic changes that mark the apparent end to the backlash against the perceived excesses of the 1960s have translated into a cease-fire in the culture wars.
But social conservatives here said that if the GOP takes back control of the House or Senate this November, they won’t tolerate compromise with Democrats on cultural matters.
Perkins said he expected a new Republican majority in the House to push back against any attempt to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against gays in the military and legislation to restrict businesses from discriminating against gay employees.
But Perkins admitted that social conservatives were only playing defense at the moment. “We’d build the wrong expectations if we said, ‘Here is our agenda, this is what we want to do.’”
Before they can even play defense on policy, though, Christian conservatives must first fend off any attempt from within the GOP to marginalize their agenda politically.
The consensus among the establishment wing of the Republican Party is that to do anything but run against the purported fiscal excesses of the Democratic majority is folly.
“Any issue that takes people’s eye off of unemployment, job creation, economic growth, taxes, spending, deficits, debts is taking your eye off the ball,” said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour — the Republican Governors Association chairman — earlier this month.
Continue Reading
Text Size
* -
* +
* reset
Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com Listen
Barbour defended his social conservative bona fides, but said those issues simply weren’t what the electorate was focused on this year. But many cultural conservatives worry that by ignoring the “pro-family” agenda, Republicans may dampen enthusiasm in a midterm election among the voters who primarily vote for GOP candidates because of social issues such as abortion.
“That's not only wrong, that's dumb because we need the social conservatives as well as the fiscal conservatives to take those seats in November,” said conservative grand dame Phyllis Schlafly in her Saturday speech, referring to the “truce.”
Such activists at the conference warned that Republican leaders ought not leave out cultural concerns of their agenda.
Joe Walker, a Binghamton, N.Y., resident and Huckabee supporter, said he was concerned about reports that congressional Republicans may not include social issues in their “contract” to be released next week. “If they take that out, it’s going to come back to bite them,” Walker said, adding, “You can’t take Jesus out of politics.”
Leigh-Ann Bellew, a Huckabee backer from Union Beach, N.J., said social conservatives are focusing their energies on electing candidates who are willing to talk openly about abortion and other such morality issues.
“If they ignore the (social) issues, they’re not going to fix the problems,” said Bellew of GOP leaders. “It took us generations to get into these problems, and it’s going to take generations to get out.”
Bellew illustrates why, even though their influence may be on the wane for now, social conservatives remain upbeat. She helped staff phone banks for Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell — who is strongly identified with the cultural conservative wing of the party — in the primary and will return to the First State to help the Republican in the general election. “Luckily, there are candidates talking about the social issues,” Bellew said.
Even while they may be fueled by fiscal issues, many other tea party-powered Republican hopefuls this year also happen to be staunch social conservatives. And, especially in the case of O’Donnell, they’re not afraid to discuss their views on cultural issues.
The Delawarean was a big hit at the summit Friday, even as she used much of her speech on a class-based theme.
Absent here was perhaps the most powerful force on the right at the moment, Sarah Palin. The Alaskan has yet to attend either the Values Voter conference or CPAC, the two major gatherings of social conservatives.
Her appeal, of course, transcends such confabs. But even if she doesn’t show, that doesn’t mean the activists won’t send her a message.
She finished well behind Huckabee here last year and came in fifth in the presidential balloting this year.
But FRC added a vice-presidential preference question this year and Palin came in a telling close second to Pence in that category.
The desire for her to be vice president but not president reflects an oft-repeated view among GOP activists that, while they want her to be a party leader, they don’t necessarily want her to be president.
Perkins, in a bit of candor that some conservative leaders don’t always voice, called Palin “a great spokesman” and added that "she says what a lot of people think."
"But you know a lot of people sometimes realize we shouldn't say everything we think," he continued. "Maybe it is that she is more of a cheerleader and one who rallies conservatives together as opposed maybe to being their top choice for president."