Some of the GOP’s most prominent conservatives insisted Friday that Republicans should emphasize hot-button social issues such as abortion and gay marriage in this year’s midterm elections, exposing an ideological divide within a party trying to capture the Senate and then the White House.
Santorum insisted that Republicans not abandon conservative values. “We’re told we have to put aside what we believe is in the best interests of the country so a Republican candidate can win,” Santorum said. But victory on those terms would be “a devastating loss for America,” he said.
But Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, one of the final speakers of the day, represents a new generation of libertarian-minded Republicans less likely to oppose gay marriage or embrace laws allowing the government to affect people’s private lives.
“There’s a great battle going on. It’s for the heart and soul of America,” Paul told the crowd, focusing on civil liberties instead of social issues.
“You may think I’m talking about electing Republicans. I’m not,” he said. “I’m talking about electing lovers of liberty.”
The ideological tug-of-war played out a few miles from Washington at the nation’s largest annual gathering of conservative activists, where most of the prospective 2016 Republican presidential field will have taken the stage by today’s end of the three-day gathering.
It was an early presidential audition for a party optimistic about its chances in the November congressional elections and eager to snap its two-election mini-losing streak in presidential contests.
The political debate over abortion shows no signs of being resolved, more than 40 years after the Supreme Court legalized the procedure in the case of Roe v. Wade. Young people today are somewhat more conservative on the issue than middle-aged Americans, but the nation is split on the deeply personal issue.
The politics of gay marriage are different. A growing number of high-profile Republicans — including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and former Vice President Dick Cheney — have announced personal support for same-sex unions, despite a national party platform that does not. And a series of recent court rulings have found state laws that outlaw the practice may be unconstitutional.
Perry avoided social issues in his remarks, instead criticizing Democratic governors for leading states with higher taxes, more regulations and fewer jobs. He also suggested that Washington politicians in both parties have seized too much power and it’s time to elect “the right kind of leaders.”
Still, the day’s speaking program was dominated by social conservatives, such as former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed, who offered little tolerance for Republicans who “lack the courage to stand and fight” against gay marriage and abortion rights.
But outside the main ballroom, a younger generation of libertarian-minded Republicans said the GOP should focus on the economy and avoid the culture wars of the past.
Paul was a favorite of such voters, many of whom had backed his father, former Rep. Ron Paul, a libertarian.
“I don’t think the government should be involved in dictating how we live our lives,” said Chris Anders, the 42-year-old West Virginia state coordinator for Campaign for Liberty, a political group formed from the ashes of Ron Paul’s past presidential campaigns.
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