Despite Calls for Moderation, GOP Remains As Socially Conservative As Ever

Sara Fried — June 19, 2013 – 1:47 pm | Reproductive Rights | Republicans | Women's Issues Comments (0) Add a comment

The GOP is plagued by a seemingly unending line of members making offensive comments on social issues. At some point, one has to question the Republican Party’s excuse that these individuals represent “a small group of members who don’t speak for the majority of the Republican Party,” as a “top strategist” claimed, according to Politico.

This disturbing pattern began with former Representative Todd Akin and Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s offensive comments on rape in the last election. It continued when Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) attempted to defend Akin and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant blamed the decline of America on working mothers. Representative Gingrey also said that children should take classes in school on traditional gender roles, to teach them why children need a mother and a father. In addition, Representatives Don Young (R-AK) and Steve King (R-IA) have made insulting comments about immigrants. And just last week Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) claimed that few pregnancies result from rape.

Politico wrote:

No matter what the party leadership is up to in a given month, there’s almost invariably a back-bencher in the House of Representatives or a C-list player out in the states who’s only too eager to take the wind out of a conservative comeback with some incendiary comment that seizes national attention.

The Republican Party cannot truthfully claim that these are isolated incidents, and that their views don’t reflect the views of the party, when such incidents are so common and the GOP has not repudiated these members.

The extreme social conservativism of the GOP isn’t just in the isolated comments of a few Republicans. The Republican Party proudly backs up these comments with their actions. The Associated Press reports that Republicans are often portrayed as “out of step with the nation’s values on gay rights, women’s rights and common-sense solutions to illegal immigration.”

That’s because they are.

The Republican majority in the House just passed an extreme anti-choice bill, the most restrictive of such measures in recent years. The Republican-controlled House has also “advanced legislation to crack down on immigrants living illegally in the country,” while the Democratic-led Senate works on a bill that would provide immigrants with a path to citizenship provided they meet certain conditions.

 Even Jewish Republicans have called for the party to change directions, saying “our party must earn the trust and votes of non-traditional Republicans - Hispanics, women, African Americans, young voters, and Jews…Jewish voters…had real concerns over the Republican party’s views on social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage.”

It seems the GOP won’t be changing its ways any time soon, according to AP:

“Republican lawmakers have a message for those who want the party to soften its emphasis on social conservatism in hopes of reaching a wider national audience: Not so fast.”

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