Why can't Republicans just support free markets and limited government and lay off the social issues?

[Hob]

I'm all for free market capitalism, limited government, 2nd amendment rights (as well as the entire Bill of Rights) but I totally disagree with the Republicans who want to institutionalize their social conservative values into law. I think the Republicans lose a lot of voters strictly over their stance on social issues. If they gave the social issues a break then I think they'd make a lot more headway on the other stuff.
@Liberals Sequestered the Truth: You _totally_ missed the point.
@Liberals Sequestered the Truth: You _totally_ missed the point.

[Steve-O in AZ]

If they did that, I'd register as a Republican.

[Liv]

It's not like that would help the US.

We adopted free trade in 1973, and look where it got us. US industry has been gutted. We are increasingly a country that exports only food and natural resources (i.e. a colony). Immigration is relatively unchecked. Wages have been flat since the 80s despite huge increases in worker productivity AND company profits.

Gee whiz, free trade is awesome.

Advocating free trade at this point is like trying to save a sinking boat with a power drill.

There was a reason the Founding Fathers opposed free trade.

And there was a reason that no US party supported it from the 1790s through the 1970s.

[BASH]

The GOP is obsessed with social issues, but don't kid yourself. There is AMPLE evidence that, while the GOP talks about small government and less spending/taxes, they are ALWAYS spending more, raising taxes, and increasing the size of government.

[Obama]

Your hole premise is wrong. Or You made it up on porpoise

[Mark]

"Social issues" were previously handled by state governments, and it wasn't until the US Supreme Court started rendering decisions that were dubious "interpretations" of the Constitution usurping the state powers on those issues that it then became appropriate for candidates for federal office to also start talking about those issues too -- precisely because the Court made them into federal issues.

[Rick]

dont forget that republicans do not want limited government, they want limited federal government and unlimited state government

[gregory_dittman]

It started with the collapse of the Republican Party after the Watergate scandal and an opening when Carter supported Roe vs Wade. A lot of social conservatives were upset when the Democratic Party went far left on social issues. The Republican party then went after the conservatives. If you look at the territory of the U.S. map, most states are red states. That is important where congress is concerned.

[Paladin]

it was the Democrats that brought those social issues to the national stage, should the Republicans ignore them now that they are there?

[MartinG]

I don't know!

The economy isn't great, Obama isn't super popular - they could gloss over their obstructionism and the election is in the bag!

But when they get near a mic they can't help themselves - it's all voter ID this, abortion that, immigration, gay marriage, bible, blah blah. Can't fathom it myself, but we're probably quite lucky it's so.