This is exactly how I feel every time I hear someone who wants to restrict access to birth control. Didn’t we move past this a long time ago?
The same politicians who tell you that if you don’t like something a company does you have the choice to not buy things from them should use the same philosophy and apply it to social issues. If you are against birth control, don’t use it. If you are against abortion, don’t have one. If you don’t like gay people, don’t sleep with one or marry one. That’s fine. But don’t tell me what I can and cannot do. That is not the true conservative way.
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Two words: useful idiots.
It has been pretty clear for years that the Republican party has been talking the talk about social issues solely to gain votes. I knew many people who rejoiced after the 2000 election, because they were certain that GWB would do something to overturn Roe v. Wade. Of course, they had no idea what that something was or how it would happen. But certainly he would do it. He then spent 8 years working on behalf of the rich donors who paid for his election. And did not magically, singlehandedly overturn the Supreme Court.
The Republican establishment knows they can’t actually follow through with these promises. The backlash would be quick and it would be severe. But as long as they keep making the promises, there are many people who will continue to vote for them, all evidence be damned.
Having said that, there are a few nutjobs (Santorum and Bachmann, for example) whom I believe are sincere in their devotion to these issues, and I think that scares the hell out of the party leaders. While these crazies are making a good showing this year, they’ve got no chance. So the cycle will continue until the party really screws up and does nominate a whacko. At that point, and only at that point, will you see the party leadership taking a truly conservative tack on social issues.
Republican Slogan: “No regulations of any type*!”
*Does not apply to abortions, birth control, and drugs which you may want to put into your body.
Falkelord, you really hit the nail on the head in one word: “slogan.” By their very nature, slogans are terse, oversimplifying phrases that cannot be taken as nuanced policy positions. But they sound nice. And attempting to take slogans to their logical ends is, really, an attempt to attribute (falsely) a No true Scotsman argument to the GOP.
The problem is that, a couple decades ago, the Republicans used social issues to solidify the majority of their base. They picked up on issues that the established GOP cared nothing about so that they could get the votes and positions that would allow them to pursue their true agenda of low taxes and deregulation.
Fast forward to this generation of conservatives, and you see that those talking points and political positions are real passions for the candidates. If abortion were really made illegal, the GOP could see its base fracture, since there is no other issue that keeps many people on their side. It’s why they’ve never actually overturned Roe v. Wade; it would be a disaster for the GOP. But this new era of conservatives grew up honestly believing those talking points, and have a conviction to see them actually come to fruition. I think that’s why the GOP is not so happy about Santorum. He is the poster-child for an end to rational conservatism, and the perfect example of how badly the GOP has screwed themselves.