What's especially interesting is the title of the piece, "Antipathy Toward Obama Seen as Helping Arkansas Limit Adoption." While I think this particular measure goes too far in restricting the rights of average citizens who may be unmarried with children, the Arkansas vote is a powerful case in the emerging culture war in the states following the election of Barack Obama to the White House. Recall, as well, the intense protests against Proposition 8 in California, which is a radical push to redefine the traditional meaning of marriage.
On Fox News this morning, Representative Mike Pence made the case that the way back for the GOP is through traditional conservatism, arguing for the "time-honored principles of limited government, a belief in free markets, in the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage":
There's lots of evidence that the culture war is real and building, and one of Obama's greatest challenges ahead will be to let the air out of his messianic rise to power without fomenting a real backlash among his uncleansed hordes of supporters and their pent-up demands for radical change.
Interestingly, just today Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan delivered a major addresss to usher in the new administration, "America's New Beginning: President-elect Barack Obama." Meanwhile, some Democratic Party activists are lobbying to promote a national holiday for Barack Obama.
Yep, that culture war's kicking before we've even had the inauguration.
New culture war or just new fronts or campaigns in the one in which we've been for how many years?
ReplyDeleteIt's a new stage, CKA! This election's unprecedented in its challenges to traditionalism.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the case...I'M IN! Let's fight the good fight...:)N
ReplyDeleteThanks Nikki!
ReplyDeleteHow many kids has Rep. Pence adopted or fostered?
ReplyDeleteWith all respect: Put up or sit down, Mike.
I like what I hear from these two, but I've heard it before. After 2006 the Republicans paid lip service to change their message and went right back to the same actions. We need to go back to conservative prinicples of smaller government and less spending. I think as BO takes hold and begins to bleed spending and the results are worse, the conservative principles begin to be recognized as those that will straighten out the economy. Right now the country is on a drinking binge and when they sober up they'll regret their excess and move back.
ReplyDelete"Uncleansed hordes of supporters..." Isn't that a bit strong just because folks disagree with you. Either way, I encourage the GOP to follow Pence's strategy. It will ensure the GOP only remains relevant in the South. You should see my column in Sunday's Jackson Clarion-Ledger about the future of the GOP. There's a link to it on my blog.
ReplyDeleteObama's hubris is going to be his undoing and it's already starting. It's curious that the progressives won the elections and lost the referendums. If Obama has half the brains he pretends to have he'll think very hard about that. He probably won't.
ReplyDeleteMarvin: That's the way I write. I don't think Obama's election was clean, so my reference is to the enabling of this administration as less than noble, and thus unclean.
ReplyDeleteIt's polemical. I'll check out your piece, in any case.
"Obama's hubris is going to be his undoing"
ReplyDeletethat's exactly what happened to the GOP under Bush and Rove ...