On which issues listed below do you see low-income, white, Southern conservatives deciding to change their party and vote Democratic?
Governor Howard Dean points out that the Republican strategy in the South has been to divide white and racial minority voters, regardless of economic status. He says a "big tent" will get poor white Southerners back into the Democratic Party.
However, if we look at the deeply held, most fervent beliefs of the two groups on gut-wrenching issues, it seems impossible to find common ground.
Issue |
If Republican = "Conservative" |
If Democrat = "Liberal" |
"Liberty Under God" |
Religion |
Fundamentalist Christianity |
Tolerant Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Others, Heathen, Agnostic, Atheist, None |
"Tolerant Christianity" which is opposed to fundamentalism is a myth. It's The Winter Solstice, Charlie Brown! "One has to wonder," author David Limbaugh suggests, "which is more offensive to the Constitution of the United States: a five-year-old passing out candy canes to his classmates or a teacher confiscating the candy canes because they are Christian." Book Review: Persecution by David Limbaugh "I think that fear and hatred of conservatives and
Republican animates a lot of Democrats more than support
for their own party. The Democrats don't articulate a
positive agenda you can get behind and affirmatively
support. They preach hatred, anger and intolerance." |
Race & Gender |
White Male |
Minorities & Female |
Liberalism is racist and divisive. Racism is a form of collectivism, not individualism. It has always been enforced by the government. But eliminating racism in the heart is not best accomplished by government coercion, which only increases resentment, but by "The Jackie Robinson Theory" of racial integration. CAPITALISM: THE CURE FOR RACISM - George Reisman |
Homosexuality |
Evil |
Gay Rights |
The homosexual movement is anti-Christian and completely intolerant of the historic Christian moral viewpoint. One can believe that homosexuality is "evil" and still reject criminal penalties for homosexual acts. Homophobia is myth. |
Ideal Leader |
War Hero |
Visionary |
Gary Bauer's book is a Vision for America. Does he count as a "visionary?" |
Gun Control |
Never |
Now |
"Gun control" means giving guns to bureaucrats so they can confiscate guns from my neighbors. "Gun Control" means tanks against a houseful of "fundamentalists" in Waco, TX. |
Crime: Maximum Penalty |
Death Penalty |
Life in Prison |
Too many criminals are subsidized by tax dollars confiscated from conservatives by compassionate liberals. But the death penalty is still wrong. So are atheistic prisons. |
Abortion |
Life |
Choice |
The liberal position on abortion is fringe and extremist. 90% of all Americans believe that 90% of all abortions are unjustifiable. What do liberals want? |
Taxation |
"Starve the Beast" |
"Provide for Needs" |
Taxation provides for politicians, not "needs." Less than half of the welfare budget goes to the "needy." The majority goes to bureaucrats. |
Property & Business |
Unregulated |
Regulated |
Everybody believes that property and business should be regulated. The question is "By whom?" and "By what standard?" America once stood for "Liberty Under God," which means that property and business were self-regulated by "a moral and religious people" (to use the words of John Adams). Liberals do not want religion and morality taught to children so that they can be self-regulating, liberals favor fascism: regulation by the secular state. |
Privatization |
Expand. "Business can do it better than government." |
Protect Consumers. "Remember Enron." |
|
Public Utilities |
Privatize |
Keep Public |
Gov. Gray Davis did such a great job managing electrical utilities in California. More ? Still more. |
Medicine |
Keep Private |
Provide from Public Funds |
In 1959, who had the better healthcare system, America or the Soviet Union? What happened? Socialized medicine. |
Education |
Local |
Federal |
Education is not a legitimate function of government, and the further government education is from the home, the worse it is. |
Family & Significant Others |
Obligations,
Loyalty, Duty, Honor. |
Relationships. |
Conservatives want the marriage of these two forces; liberals want them divorced. |
Alas, things can only get worse.