Jim DeMint: “You can’t be a fiscal conservative and not be a social conservative”

The statement comes around the 3-minute mark




My jaw dropped last night when I saw this on Hot Air with the commentary by Allahpundit:

That’s the money line from tonight’s Fox News “12 in ’12″ presidential profile; skip ahead to 3:00 if you don’t want to watch it all. He made this same point, albeit in a more elaborate way, at the Values Voter Summit in September. Let me gently suggest that this bumper-sticker version is doing him no favors, since it can’t help but alienate every last libertarian who sees it....

Originally, I thought this message was just something DeMint was pitching at Christian conservatives to convince them that the tea party’s libertarianism is overblown, that they’re still a cherished constituency despite the reordering of conservative priorities to favor spending over “values.” But now I think he means it, which makes me wonder. For instance, last I checked, Glenn Beck’s a fiscal conservative (and notably a fan of the idea of Americans turning back to God) but also … fine with gay marriage....

That is so presumptuous of DeMint to even say that. I am one of many fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party that do not consider themselves a social conservative along with most of my friends. Never have and never will.

You can put me in the State's Rights camp for social issues and other issues that should never have been at the federal level. Until a person walks in another person's shoes, they should think twice before condemning others on lifestyle choices. That is between the person and God -- no individual has the right to become the judge and jury on social issues IMHO. Still think Gay Marriage is pushed by the trial lawyers who do divorces as they see their pockets being lined with dollars.

If you leave it up to the state, a person has a choice to live in that state or not. There is one exception I make to the State Right's issue and that is Partial Birth Abortion which is abhorrent to almost every American where a baby is murdered who could survive. With modern technology there are no exceptions and frankly should be considered murder IMO.  Never will understand how any person could give their support to Partial Birth Abortion like Obama did in the Illinois Senate. Would never support a candidate who supported Partial Birth Abortion.   That crosses the line from a social issue into a criminal issue.

Believe you have to change the hearts and minds on other types of abortion, but also believe strongly in the exceptions and encouraging adoption. This falls in my category of not walking in someone shoes at the time the decision is made.

Part of the trouble in this election cycle is that some of the candidates won the primary where their stances on social issues were too extreme for the general election in their states. A good example is Buck in Colorado who came out and said no exceptions on abortion in a state that is not very conservative. This idea where you elect the most conservative in the primary who is going to have a hard time winning or no chance to win is self defeating for the conservative agenda. You need to vote for the candidate who can win in the general or your agenda goes no where.

The other part is the 'my way or no way' crowd who will stay home if they don't have a candidate on the ballot that reflects their views has never made any sense.  With that mentality you are going to get someone very liberal who you don't agree with 100% of time versus the person you agree with 80% of the time.  That is one reason you will never find me in the social conservative camp because that is usually who comes up with the idea to stay home to teach the rest of us a lesson.

Now to have a Senator who says they are running for President tell all of us that if we are a fiscal conservative we are also a social conservative makes him unelectable in most states. Not sure that would fly with a lot of voters in Oklahoma except the far right.  Beginning to see more and more reasons there are Senators who want nothing to do with him. DeMint along with Palin didn't do the Senate a lot of favors with some of their endorsements and support along with the Tea Party Express in the primaries and it showed in the general election.

Just put me down as a Common Sense Conservative Republican who believes in candidates with integrity and ethics who support less taxes, smaller government, strong defense and homeland security, state's rights, and strict constructionists judges. That is all I ask from any candidate running for federal office including President.