THE FASTEST WAY TO KILL CONSERVATISM...

...would be to listen to Andrew Sullivan. He apparently isn't content with merely opposing social conservatives on philosophical or theological grounds--he wants us driven from the public square on the ruse that we're actually, in our heart of hearts, anti-conservative. He even goes as far as use a David Horowitz article that at the same time criticizes Christian conservatives but nonetheless recognizes our intrinsic value to the conservative coalition to make his point that we're not really conservatives. Ooooookay. And he accused Maureen Dowd of distortion.

Let's take a look at Andy's fantasy world. If he were to succeed and split us off from the rest of the GOP, you'd have a rump of a GOP left. Social cons make up somewhere between a quarter to a third, and in some states a half, of the GOP base. Without us, the Republicans would have an ineffective, semi-permanent minority status, resulting in a drastically weakened national security stance, the return of Big Government, high marginal tax rates, and perhaps most importantly, a disregard for the rights of the unborn and for basic Constitutional rights and freedoms such as the right to bear arms. That's what the Democrats would usher in if the GOP lost its social conservatives and thus its political viability.

One important fact to consider: As traditional Christians re-discovered politics in the 50s and 60s, they looked around for a party or parties which would become our political homes. For a variety of reasons, the majority of us chose the Republicans. As we moved toward the GOP, its viability on the national stage increased. What had been essentially a party only of the White House became a party of the state house, too, and of the US House, and of the Senate, as we social conservatives helped the GOP organize grass-roots efforts and brought our very significant numbers to bear, resulting finally in the capture of a majority of governorships and majorities in the Congress. We aren't the only reason for the GOP's ascendancy, but we're a major reason for it. Cutting us off would be a huge mistake for the GOP, and as Sullivan offers nothing--not one single solitary thing--as a potential replacement for us, it would probably mean the end of the Republican Party as a force in American politics. With the Republicans' demise, conservatism would find itself marginalized.

Does Sullivan think gays would come en masse to the GOP if only the social cons were out of the way? That's folly for several reasons, not least of which is that even if every single gay person in American suddenly voted Republican their numbers would never and will never match ours. We could break off and form a third party which would be more viable than the rump GOP, whether it had the gay vote or not. Does he think independents and libertarians would suddenly flock to the Party of Lincoln? Not likely. Indies would likely stay as such; libertarians aren't numerous or organized enough to matter much. The fact is, without social conservatives, the GOP and conservatism are doomed. Horowitz understands this, and offers up fair criticism (with which I disagree to some extent, though I find myself irritated at the strategic boneheadedness of my fellow social cons to some extent too). Sulli takes Horowitz's fair critique and turns it into a platform for political pogrom against Christians.

Conservatives, Republicans--don't listen to Andrew Sullivan. He claims to mean well, but in the end his politics are entirely self-serving. You'd follow him to your ruin.