Misreading the Results

Kathleen Parker does it again and pens another column that in many ways seems like it is coming from The Huffington Post or the Daily Kos:

To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh.

What I find funny is Kathleen notes the GOP's ties to the "oogedy-boogedy" block to have been established in the 1980s. Geeze, what happened then? The GOP rose from the mire of 30 years out of power in the congress to eventually taking the congress in the '90s. This includes the tenure of Ronald Reagen.

If social conservatism is such a killer how come socially conservative measures pass with far greater margins than Democrats or Republicans win office? Here in WI we passed our marriage amendment in 2006 even though we lost the state senate, the WI Eighth congressional seat, and our hold on the assembly became even more fleeting. This year, we find three similar amendments passing two overwhelmingly and one passing in California.

The only groups I see spontaneously organizing on behalf of GOP candidates are those from the "oogedy-boogedy" block, all others are most often astro-turf groups organized by a campaign or the party.

Without the "oogedy-boogedy" block the GOP is nothing more than a minority party.

Here is Jonah Goldberg's accurate characterization of Kathleen's attitude:

To listen to many pundits and analysts, it means Republicans must become Democrats. The GOP has become too socially conservative, and if it wants to win the support of mainstream voters, it will need to become more socially liberal. To be “economically conservative but socially liberal” is the beginning of wisdom for this school of thought.

Or, put another way, if only the party could be more like former New Jersey Gov. and Bush EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman, these voices have been saying for years, the GOP would truly become the majority party. Remember the Alan Alda character on NBC’s blessedly defunct West Wing? We were told that his pro-choice stance on abortion would make the Republican Party vastly more competitive in places like California and New York.