GOP Social Policies - moderating or becoming more extreme over the past decades?

[obvious Child]

Eco_Farm and I have a small discussion on what social policies the GOP had moderated over time. Eco seems to believe that the GOP had moderated some social policies, but I can't think of any. We therefore decided to open it up to the forum and see if anyone can name some.

So have it, what social policies has the GOP moderated itself on, or has the GOP's social policies become more extreme over the past few decades?

 

[ecofarm]

Cool. It's late but I'll see what changes I can list tomorrow.

 

[Redress]

Eco_Farm and I have a small discussion on what social policies the GOP had moderated over time. Eco seems to believe that the GOP had moderated some social policies, but I can't think of any. We therefore decided to open it up to the forum and see if anyone can name some.

So have it, what social policies has the GOP moderated itself on, or has the GOP's social policies become more extreme over the past few decades?

Gay issues the party itself is still fairly against, but the members of the party are more moderate. They are just keeping the hardline anti-SSM plank to appease the Tea Party types(remember when the Tea Party was supposedly only about debt and taxes? Me either). Other than that I cannot think of any. However, it is important to realize that while responsible for their platform, it does not represent all republicans.

 

[ecofarm]

I figure to look over the past few decades.

 

[obvious Child]

Gay issues the party itself is still fairly against, but the members of the party are more moderate. They are just keeping the hardline anti-SSM plank to appease the Tea Party types(remember when the Tea Party was supposedly only about debt and taxes? Me either). Other than that I cannot think of any. However, it is important to realize that while responsible for their platform, it does not represent all republicans.

The whole gay thing is very, very few. Only in the past I'd say 5 years has anything changed. You hear about the Alabama Young Republicans Gay flare up?.

I think the GOP is in for some significant change due to mere demographics, but that's in the future. I can't think of a single thing over the past 30 years were the GOP as a whole has moderated on social beliefs. You're right that they don't represent all Republicans, but let's deal with the majority for now.

 

[Moot]

What do you mean by "moderated"?

 

[RabidAlpaca]

Eco_Farm and I have a small discussion on what social policies the GOP had moderated over time. Eco seems to believe that the GOP had moderated some social policies, but I can't think of any. We therefore decided to open it up to the forum and see if anyone can name some.

So have it, what social policies has the GOP moderated itself on, or has the GOP's social policies become more extreme over the past few decades?

Hrm... I think some of their policies have softened quite a bit, but it wasn't because they evolved or became more moderate, but rather because society dragged them kicking and screaming all the way.

Kind of like how they're starting to soften their stance on SSM now that they see they'll never be elected again without it.

 

[obvious Child]

What do you mean by "moderated"?

More tolerant, more accepting of different views from their previously held position.

Aka, No Abortion to some abortion.

 

[Drake McHugh]

Republicans are about the same on abortion and gun control as they have always been. Most Americans are actually more in line with a pro-life view,and it has actually gotten moreso since ultrasounds. Democrats,especially that terrible Davis woman in Texas are more of the fringe of American society.
On gays,I would say they are much more liberal. A number of Republicans(wrongly in my view)voted to end DADT. Many have "evolved"on SSM(again in my view wrongly).

 

[ecofarm]

The only change I've found is a movement away from aggressive foreign policy since Reagan.

I'll search more, but so far it's looking bleak for GOP moderation of social policy over the past few decades.

 

[Drake McHugh]

The only change I've found is a movement away from aggressive foreign policy since Reagan.

I'll search more, but so far it's looking bleak for GOP moderation of social policy over the past few decades.

Democrats are the ones who have not "moderated". They have moved dramatically to the left since the Clinton era.

 

[obvious Child]

The only change I've found is a movement away from aggressive foreign policy since Reagan.

HUH? You mean like Iraq? Come again?

I'll search more, but so far it's looking bleak for GOP moderation of social policy over the past few decades.

I'd say so.

 

[washunut]

More tolerant, more accepting of different views from their previously held position.

Aka, No Abortion to some abortion.

I think both parties are less tolerant.

Just watched some JFK positions. No chance he could win a democratic presidential primary with those views today.

 

[Fisher]

Both parties have subscribed to the "you gotta polarize to organize" policy for so long that they have forgotten why they were organizing to begin with.

 

[obvious Child]

Democrats are the ones who have not "moderated". They have moved dramatically to the left since the Clinton era.

Can you name such policies?

 

[Hdreamz]

The only thing i can think of is the Environment. If you look at the difference between Bush Senior and Mitt Romney's presidential runs and main arguments and the general trends of the GOP it has come to the realization that it has to have some policy toward environmentalism. It has taken them 20 years and they still dispute whether the increase is man made but at least most Republicans these days admit climate change exists. Other than that perhaps gay rights, though they are squarely against gay marriage, other gay rights and the general opinion in the GOP has changed.

I think these changes have more to do with having to change to stay electable and campaign politics rather than any real true core belief in them. As the opinions of the population change so must their representation and the GOP candidates otherwise they will never hope to hold office again....

 

[obvious Child]

Republicans are about the same on abortion

This is wrong.

Republican platform's abortion plank has a long history - Los Angeles Times

and gun control as they have always been.

You mean how significant numbers of Republicans voted for gun control back in the 90s where basically no Republican now will even support even the slightest measures of gun control. Your memory is bad.

Most Americans are actually more in line with a pro-life view,and it has actually gotten moreso since ultrasounds. Democrats,especially that terrible Davis woman in Texas are more of the fringe of American society.

That depends how you defined "pro-life." Very few people actually want abortions to happen. And the percent of population that supports some form of legal abortion hasn't changed in years.

On gays,I would say they are much more liberal. A number of Republicans(wrongly in my view)voted to end DADT. Many have "evolved"on SSM(again in my view wrongly).

Only in the past 5 years or so. And DADT was a terrible law. Kicking out gays made America less safe. NavyPride never answered this, but how does removing dozens of Middle Eastern linguistic specialists because they're gay make America safer when we need these people to listen to terrorist chatter?

 

[sangha]

The only thing i can think of is the Environment. If you look at the difference between Bush Senior and Mitt Romney's presidential runs and main arguments and the general trends of the GOP it has come to the realization that it has to have some policy toward environmentalism. It has taken them 20 years and they still dispute whether the increase is man made but at least most Republicans these days admit climate change exists. Other than that perhaps gay rights, though they are squarely against gay marriage, other gay rights and the general opinion in the GOP has changed.

I think these changes have more to do with having to change to stay electable and campaign politics rather than any real true core belief in them. As the opinions of the population change so must their representation and the GOP candidates otherwise they will never hope to hold office again....

When it comes to environmental issues as a whole (as opposed to just global warming), the GOP has become more radical. There was a time when the GOP was pretty open to protecting the environment. After all, it was a republican (Nixon) who created the EPA and TR was big on conservation