Slow train coming?
Marvin Olasky at World magazine just posted a piece, “Slow train coming,” that meshes in theory with mine, although I think mention should have been made at the “50 year” mark of the sexual revolution and launch of the birth control pill. Olasky’s point is that Romney’s loss last night didn’t start this year, or even last year. The GOP’s slide began a long, long time ago.
A couple of Olasky’s milestones surprised me, such as at 20 years and 10 years and a little bit at 30 years.
It begins…
The blame Romney game begins: If only the GOP had had a more aggressive candidate, a more pointed message, a better ground game in several states. The blame God game also commences: If only Superstorm Sandy hadn’t let Barack Obama break Mitt Romney’s momentum.
Maybe, maybe, yet Gov. Romney did OK given the state of our culture. Republicans lost this presidential election not just yesterday, but…
Continue reading here, and then tell me what you think.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Fifty years ago, as increasingly liberal college faculties began to exclude dissenters from the new academic orthodoxy. The Daily Princetonian reports that 155 members of Princeton University’s faculty or staff donated to President Obama, and only two (one visiting lecturer in engineering, one janitor) to Romney. We’ve delivered generations of students to left-wing propagandizing, and the effect is telling.
Forty years ago, as state after state created no-fault divorce and marriage became a contract breakable by one party for any reason, rather than a lifelong commitment. Married women still vote Republican, but the increasing number of the never-married and divorced vote overwhelming Democratic, seeing government as a provider.
Thirty years ago, as the Moral Majority and other religious organizations bulwarked the Reagan administration. While the political approach was needed at the time, that success led some Christians to emphasize short-term fixes rather than long-time preaching of the Gospel and working to transform culture.
Twenty years ago, as the advent of talk radio left many conservatives thinking they had a weapon adequate to overcome the influences of liberal newspapers and news magazines. That proved untrue, because those print publications still do the original reporting and storytelling that frames national debates.
Ten years ago, when President George W. Bush (and almost everyone else, including me) settled for faulty intelligence. He led the country into an Iraq War that could not receive sustained public support once the truth came out and an even harder truth—that Islam and liberty do not go together—penetrated our theological illiteracy.
Five years ago, when Bush tried valiantly to push through a plan to deal with Hispanic immigration, but could not summon sufficient GOP support. Romney this year ran to the right on immigration and did even worse among Hispanics than John McCain did in 2008.
SPOT ON !! In particular the last 4 points of history.
There is liberal thought and then there is wrong thinking. Abortion is wrong thinking, and it continues to this day. As much as I support the idea of limited government, I don’t think big government is evil, or that big government thinking is why people support abortion. I think it is the other way around. It is people who think abortion is ok that support big government. The abortion mentality is the ongoing problem in my opinion. It is the “me first” attitude of abortion that is wrong, and that is seen in big government type of thinking.
Basically, the problem is no deeper and no more problematic than selfishness – and this problem has been around for centuries.
I know I’ve posted this on the article before this one….but it bears repeating.,….
From Joesph Farah of World Net Daily….
http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/america-pronounces-judgment-on-itself/
From an earthly perspective even Jesus failed to defeat selfishness, he was hung on cross because people wanted a God in their own image. Not even his apostles understood at the time why he needed to suffer and die on the cross. Without his death on the Cross we would not have been saved (Life), and without him as our model of a virtuous life in this life we are lost (the Way), and without him we would not know that God is a Trinity (the Truth).
”It is people who think abortion is ok that support big government. “
There are plenty of Libertarians who would disagree with that statement.
Many years ago, our original parents ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and delivered upon the earth generations of fallen humanity. The problem goes all the way back to original sin.
The Devil deceived our parents in Eden, and he deceived the American electorate yesterday.
It is funny that the Devil seems to prey upon women… and women first…The Devil and PP…
If the Devil can convince mothers to kill their own children, he can convince the American electorate to vote for Mr. Obama to be President.
“Forty years ago, as state after state created no-fault divorce and marriage became a contract breakable by one party for any reason, rather than a lifelong commitment.”
How about we take into account probably the biggest Conservative State legislative failure of all time: Covenant Marriage. Purported to cut the divorce rate by 60-70% in states where it was introduced, less than 0.5% of all couples marrying in those states apply for one. The divorce rate is HIGHER in those states with Covenant Marriage than comparably-sized more progressive states. The Government offered a Conservative solution in three of the most Conservative states, and it did absolutely ZERO.
The Conservatives of the 21st century will need to leave social issues out of government, and take them up in the Free Market of Ideas with individual people one at a time.
Additionally, the whole “introduction of the Birth Control Pill” thing is a 100% loser in the political realm. Today’s women and men simply and almost universally support access to hormonal and other contraception. This can and will never be undone with *laws*. It probably never can be undone on a personal level either, given that a whole slate of new contraceptives are in the Pharmaceutical pipeline as we speak.
Think about what is happening with same-sex marriage. 8 years ago it helped give Bush a victory. Now, the tides have turned. Think about what will happen for Conservatives if they politically and legislatively push against contraception. Loss of power for possibly decades. Again, here is where Conservatives need to take an individual approach and simply choose to ACT on their own beliefs and let others act on theirs.
If I had my ‘druthers, the President would be a Libertarian and fiscal conservative.
Romney did pretty well considering the tightrope he had to walk, balancing between being enough of a centrist to attract sufficient votes, while trying not to alienate the fringe right to such an extent that he’d be outright shunned.
Yeah, “blame Romney” was oh-so predictable, but if ya didn’t like him, then pick somebody else for the GOP candidate. Look at all that had their chance – it was a “round robin” type of deal, with Perry, Gingrich, Bachmann, Santorum, Cain, etc., all having their shot.
I’d like to see a true Conservative run. Not this ill-disguised pandering to the very wealthy that the GOP seems unable to even slightly distance itself from. The red ink that the federal gov’t is running is the most pressing problem we face, in my opinion.
It’s easy to start thinking about a third party here – somebody who would really make the gov’t finances the top priority. The Democrats and Republicans give no indication that they are actually going to do that. Will somebody or some political party with enough support really come to the fore “before it’s too late,” financially? Sad to say, I really doubt it.
It would be nice to have a candidate who really meant to fix the nation’s finances, and who would not get involved in trying to breach the separation of church and state, and who would abhor, rather than be in favor of, taking away the liberty of women and other groups.
Dave and Gerald, excellent comments.
The Conservatives of the 21st century will need to leave social issues out of government, and take them up in the Free Market of Ideas with individual people one at a time.
Dave, how right you are.
It is funny that the Devil seems to prey upon women… and women first…The Devil and PP…
Tyler, that is quite an extreme view. You could as well say that “everybody who does not realize that the earth is flat” is wrong. I grant you that you are not alone in your beliefs, but you are already quite “out there,” and your group is going to be increasingly marginalized.
Tyler is spot on, imo. The devil came to Eve in the garden, not Adam. Shame on us.
“Tyler is spot on, imo. The devil came to Eve in the garden, not Adam”
Yeah….but Adam had the choice to refuse Eve, thus putting the spotlight of blame and condemnation solely on her. As head of the “household” he should have known his place as the decision maker….and to even correct Eve and bring her before the Father for repentance and restoration. Instead…he essentially made her into the first idol…the first goddess…..bending to her will and her decision making at that moment.
So….who is more to blame…the idol….or the idol maker and worshipper?
I am not trying to affix blame… according to my religion everyone is born with original sin… so for the record I do not absolve men of wrongdoing…
I was observing that it seems women are forced to fight against evil first, especially when it comes to the issue of abortion.
Danny, it is also a woman who will crush the serpent’s head.
Sydney, your humility and sense of responsibility is inspiring.
All prolife women impress me and have my utmost respect.
Really? Even atheist pro-life women?
One major party supporting abortion on demand is more than plenty. There’s also no evidence whatsoever that the GOP’s pro-life stance is a net liability:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/157886/abortion-threshold-issue-one-six-voters.aspx
I don’t think opposing gay marriage will be a winning issue for the GOP in the long run, though I don’t know whether/how it affected this election.
and your group is going to be increasingly marginalized
We in the marginalized group understand that His group was marginalized first.
Some of us stopped with the popularity contests back in middle school.
Tyler – you might want to revisit Genesis re your statement:
Danny, it is also a woman who will crush the serpent’s head.
That’s not what it says. The reference in Gen 3:15 is to her tzera (seed) – singular noun.
Given the concrete notion in ancient Hebrew, it’s highly likely this is a first spoken reference to Messiah (moshiach) – a specific offspring. Also, it’s also possible to interpret the striking in terms of sequence (first/last) instead of where (head/heel).
Given the concrete notion in ancient Hebrew, it’s highly likely this is a first spoken reference to Messiah (moshiach) – a specific offspring. Also, it’s also possible to interpret the striking in terms of sequence (first/last) instead of where (head/heel).
Absolutely correct. Plus, with so much imagery about the Church being the Bride and Christ the Bridegroom….it connotes that Jesus will be the Good Bridegroom to His Bride….unlike the first bridegroom Adam….who did Eve and all of humanity no favors by participating in her sin of rebellion and fear.
Obviously both of them are culpable. However, Adam did have the final choice and responsibility to himself…his wife Eve…and to Father God Himself to not participate in the sin of Rebellion and to correct Eve and bring her before God for whatever fate God had in store for her.
It would be interesting speculation to flesh out what that fate would be? Would God have killed in His Righteousness Eve for her sins and created for Adam a new wife….much like the Earth was destroyed by the Flood but was repopulated. Or would the Redemption story have begun with Eve being pardoned but exiled from the Garden with Adam having the choice to follow her and provide companionship in the wilderness or not?
We’ll never know. The only thing that matters is that we have a pathway made possible by Christ Jesus to escape our fate.
Alexandra – yes.
Lack of faith doesn’t mean I have lost respect for these people although I would like these people to seriously examine their unbelief. Faith is gift from God, promotion of abortion is an act of will. That act of will to promote abortion is wrong whether it comes from an atheist, agnostic, or Christian person.
So you respect them, you just don’t think they have any values and don’t think they should have the right to vote.
I very much enjoyed Gerald’s comments.
I think in general, there’s some general freaking out about the state of the GOP. Yes, the GOP needs a better game with minority populations and women.
But the GOP had a terrible hand of candidates. They were the Democrats of 2004…vulnerable President, but ran a terrible candidate.
“It would be nice to have a candidate who really meant to fix the nation’s finances, and who would not get involved in trying to breach the separation of church and state, and who would abhor, rather than be in favor of, taking away the liberty of women and other groups.”
Gerald, your narrative above fits the Romney/Ryan ticket pretty well and look what happened. You must have bought into the phony DemocRATic spin that being against mother’s killing their unborn children is somehow taking liberty from women. From your comments you do not appear to be either fiscally or morally conservative. I am not saying that Romney is a true conservative either but did you really buy into that whole war on women crap?
“Faith is gift from God” – no it’s not, otherwise people would be born with at least some intrinsic leaning towards it. They aren’t. It is taught, caught or indoctrinated. Then you choose to declare that it is a ‘gift’.
Gerald, I will give you this, you were not alone. Single women voted for Obama over Romney by a 30% margin. FACT – since Obama took office 92% of the job losses have been women….oops When the economy continues tanking under Obama and women continue losing their jobs in droves over the next few years at least they will have their free contraceptives to take while they are at home huh?
The 92% figure was through March of 2012 (and FactCheck and others took issue with the point of the statistic and relevance).
Regardless, you’ll be happy to know that since that outdated stat, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been added.
If people could resist the urge to talk about how women are “denying their femininity” by wanting to have kids later, calling people sluts for wanting birth control covered by insurance, and stop vilifying single moms who might need welfare, perhaps the GOP could have gotten a bit more of the female vote.
Jack – but this site said for months that the gender gap was closing…
CNN Exit polls –
Obama won women by 11
Obama won under $100K earners by 10
Obama won under $50K earners by 22
Obama won Catholics by 2
If people could resist the urge to talk about how women are “denying their femininity” by wanting to have kids later, calling people sluts for wanting birth control covered by insurance, and stop vilifying single moms who might need welfare, perhaps the GOP could have gotten a bit more of the female vote.
Jack, Did you come up this yourself Jack or did you steal this from the desk of President Obama?
I took it right from this site, Tyler. Those are all things I have seen right on this site.
Yes, Ex. But don’t worry. It’s cool. They don’t have to examine the way they do things. Lol.
If people could resist the urge to talk about how women are “denying their femininity” by wanting to have kids later, calling people sluts for wanting birth control covered by insurance, and stop vilifying single moms who might need welfare
Jack,
There is another way to look at this. Only 51% of women of voting age today have ever been married. Throw in the divorce rate and the percentage of married women of voting age is and you lose about 30% of those which leaves you with a total of about 35% of women of voting age are married. So that leaves us with these numbers:
36% of women of voting age are married and about 64% are not married. If Obama carried unmarried women by 30%; that means 45 out of a total of 64 unmarried women voted for Obama. And Obama won the women’s vote by 10% so that means he won women overall 55 women to 45 women for Romney. That means only 10 out every 34 married women voted for Obama. That means Obama got only 29% of the overall vote of married women and Romney got 71%.
So my question for you is as follows. Did Romney get 71% of the vote from married women because A) The Democratic party and their pro-abort stance represents a war on married women? Or B) Unmarried women have a really deep and misplaced sense of BC entitlement? If B then that would be a pretty adolescent reason to cast a vote for president wouldn’t it?
I hate to rant, cuz it feel slike tilting at windmills. But here I go. Myself, I was hoping for an Obama re-election. I blogged about that on election eve..
http://thelastdemocrat.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/lesson-not-yet-learned-four-more-years-needed/
I understand political strategery. Out of some motivation, I am a valuable advice-giver for a local group, esp. on subtle aspects.
From my view, there are normal American, Constitution-loving democrats who have had their party co-opted. We should have been in a position to steal the abortion issue from conservatives this time around, since you conservatives have offered it up, and we democrats are supposed to be for the voiceless and powerless.
A missed opportunity.
I voted for Bronco Bama in the primary, then jumped ship when I saw what was going on. I have totally had suspicions confirmed, and have totally been appalled, for the last 4 years.
I so wanted him out of office, but my post notes that we American democrats have to wake up and realize the socialists have co-opted our party.
So, I was fine with the outcome either way.
That has left me as a political participant observer to come up with my explanitations of how the republicans blew a perfect opportunity to win teh white house.
SRSLY you guys blew it.
Here are my armchair monday morning quarterback views, fwiw:
vagueness.
mitt was vague.
i know economics. I understand how it does not work to give erveryone either an over-salaried job from wealth created out of mid-air, or giving a job by just paying ppl money.
The rest of america does not understand that money does not grow on trees. The campaign failed to hitch that to Bronco.
Abortion issue: Mittens is as surely pro-choice as he is pro-life. I understand that a candidate is a compromise, but if one flip-flops enough, he (or she) cannot demand respect.
Illegal immigration: there was a time to make this an issue. The repub party failed to force this on the big-business bushes. Big busines profits readily from low-cost, inhumane labor ( no legal recourse, etc.). You conservatives can argue with me, but if you have an ethical stitch and a bit of knowledge, you will have to concede that it is a big win for medium and big business to be able to hire illegal immigrants, since they can so easily be inhumanely exploited. Yes, I have read and pondered the Bible where it discusses sanctuary cities. That is different.
With republicans wishy-washy on abortion and illegal immigration, what opposition is there to the stories spun my story-spinners?
you guys failed to specify values, and you got bit. big time.
Bronco Bama got elected because, with media support, it seems that he has a solid ethical basis for policy, rather than sticking his finger up and judging the political winds (whcih he does – big time – as have the republicans).
Be a man. Or woman. Declare your philosophy, and let ppl gather around you. You cannot lead from behind. That is how Mittens got nominated.
At the same time, I believe the same problem is hwat has led to the democrats being led over to socialism – the socailistws wisely came in with a long-term agenda, and the democrats had NO solid principles upon which to accept or reject ideas. Are you for children’s education (I am – I believe it can be a great leveler of historical racial inequalities) or are you for teacher’s unions? Pick one.
They picked teachers unions over education outcomes. Now, you see what you get.
In the same wy, the republocans should have come down hard on immigration, but instead had an open-border policy for eight (8) eight Bush years. On top of that, there was Bush as Tx governor.
So ,in summary, by opting for the short -term polling favor over values, you guys got Romney, and led to Bronco Bama getting re-elected. Thank God some of y’ all are looking this over and trying to figure out where y’all got jacked up along the way.
I continue my view that we should, or will, have 4 parties. The dems would split into Constitutional Dems and Democratic Socialists, and the republicans would split into Big Business social liberal party and social conservatives/moral majority.
There would be various combinations of allegiances depending on the issue. Demo Socialists and Big Business social liberals would be OK with the continued open border. Dem Constitutiionalists would not favor the current open border policy. Etc.
” Jack, seriously, you ascribe these as the primary reasons single women voted DemocRAT in such high numbers. Pretty childish. You won’t give me free birth control? That is one of your major reasons? ”
Nope, that’s not what I said at all. I am talking about the rhetoric that the GOP and it’s supporters are so fond of using towards people, especially women, that disagree with them. I have been warning you guys for months.
About your claim that less married women than single women voted Obama, I guess I can buy that. I would wager it has a lot to do with the crap that has been spewed towards women this election cycle. It’s not married women who are comfortable financially that gets this crap shoveled on them. Single women, single mothers, unmarried women who use birth control, etc etc etc.
I agree with much of what you said LastDemocrat
Jack, you are right about much of what you say. Sandra Fluke was a prop just so the DemocRATs could propogate that narrative. But seriously. Free BC or a few people calling women who use it sluts is a reason to pick your vote for president? Projecting that onto the entire GOP platform however absurd, nevertheless, was effective at getting adolescent female votes.
LastDemocrat, especially the part about the GOP is so afraid of alienating any voters that as a party we failed to stand up enough for anything to win over any votes.
About your claim that less married women than single women voted Obama, I guess I can buy that
That’s big of you Jack since that ‘claim’ is backed up by a 71% to 29% margin. Why do you think married women voted for Romney over Obama by such a high margin?
truth -
Sloppy math – your whole foundation for your argument is off.
FoxNews exit polls:
– Obama won women overall by 10
– Romney won married women by 7
– Obama won unmarried women by 36
Seems though to have less to do about marriage and more to do about age.
Regardless, the 71-29 split is bad math.
Not sure where the math went wrong then. I was considering that the numbers could get fuzzy because the number of multiple marriage (divorce and remarry) would actually make the unmarried pool less than the the 64% of the voting pool I had used . I didn’t think it would effect it the percentages that much but maybe it does.
I wonder if the 71to 29 ratio would be accurate for women who were married only once. I might try and rework that later taking into account the percentage of people who marry and remarry.
It looks like that train never left the station.
You lost, get over it, get used to it!
The truth does not change by majority opinion. And the people who see human life as sacred won’t ‘get over it’ until the baby killers are no longer in charge of the nursery . That day will come. The day when the people who support a mother’s choice to kill her unborn children will be seem as the pariah’s they are and the majority will no longer want them in power.
I apologize for making it clear that I liked Marvin’s article. I need to say that although I think the problem begins at much earlier point than Marvin I think Marvin provided some very good inisghts into major developments that have happened and helped the Progressives to have such a strong presence in this election. I think his insights provide some valuable information as to where and how to rebuild a culture of traditional values. In total, the article was constructive. I apologize for not stating this from the outset.
Everyone here is missing the BIG PICTURE. Social Conservatives need to get it through their head that government is not the place to change or mold the culture.
Has no one read my post about Covenant Marriage? Do you all realize that THREE of the most conservative states offered a government CONSERVATIVE *CHOICE* to couples, and it has been the biggest failure in modern history for solutions to the divorce problem? Instead, Conservatives should be saying: “Personally we don’t agree with premarital sex, contraception, cohabitation, divorce ect, but we will NEVER EVER use Government to enforce our views, EVER.”
Here is a question that should test the Conservative worldview:
What if 40% of American couples just REFUSED to have children. In 30 years, the population structure will have severely inverted, and the economic strain will be devastating. Even child “birth credits” and stipend fail to do anything at all to sway those 40%.
What does the other 60% of couples and America do? Do they pass laws mandating married couples have at least 1-2 children? Does anyone have the right to mandate what people do with their bodies like that for the “greater good” of society?
There are just some things that can not, nor should not, ever be legislated or involved in Government. What you do is make your Conservative choices as economically and logistically attractive as possible, and let the individual decide. Stay very fiscally sound, and sell your message individually completely outside of government. That is the secret to Conservative success.
Interesting perspective Dave.
Dave, are you basically saying that the problem is not the government so much, but that all of society’s civil (cultural) institutions have been turned into havens for progressive thought? For example, are you implying that progressivism has taken over educational institutions, social media, mass media, entertainment, and even various religious institutions; and that conservatives should focus on reclaiming these civil institutions prior to trying to reclaim government?
There are just some things that can not, nor should not, ever be legislated or involved in Government. What you do is make your Conservative choices as economically and logistically attractive as possible, and let the individual decide. Stay very fiscally sound, and sell your message individually completely outside of government. That is the secret to Conservative success.
That might make sense for many social issues on a general level, but abortion is different. It’s an act of violence that kills an innocent human being. It does not make sense to be personally opposed to violence but refuse to use the resources of your government to stop it. Nor does the evidence suggest it would be politically prudent.