Speaking of the New Republic, Bradford Plumer has a
piece arguing that the past or present social
moderation of the Republican frontrunners won't really matter --
they will all toe the socially conservative line due to the
structure of today's GOP.
He has half a point. Social conservatives have become such an
important part of the GOP coalition that even a socially moderate
Republican would probably give them some policy victories. (Perhaps
especially a socially moderate Republican.) Certainly, they would
face fewer liabilities than under a Democratic administration. It's
not likely that the Giuliani administration would try to use the
RICO laws against pro-life demonstrators, for example.
But it's also worth noting that social conservatives rarely do
much better than this under avowedly conservative Republican
presidents. Most of their major policy goals remain unrealized. It
is doubtful that a President Giuliani or even a President McCain --
who is less of a moderate, especially on social issues, than Plumer
implies -- would give them more than a President Reagan or the
current President Bush.
topics:
Law
