Moral Right or Political Might?

The last few weeks have seen a flurry of news articles discussing the future of the Republican Party. Most have called for change and a move to a more moderate stance.

Steve Schmidt, senior strategist for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign has said that Republicans are in danger of losing younger voters.

Meghan McCain, Senator McCain’s daughter has similarly called for a moderating of some of the Party’s positions.

Senator Arlen Specter, who this week switched to the Democratic Party, noted that groups who target moderate to liberal Republicans in state primaries, are costing the party wins in general elections. He specifically noted former Senator Lincoln Chafee who spent resources to fend off a conservative challenger in 2006, and then narrowly lost in the general election.

Although there is some agreement that the far right wing of the Republican Party, and its unwillingness to compromise, are hurting the Party’s electoral successes; there is perhaps less agreement on how much and where that compromise should take place.

Of concern to some is that there is more willingness to compromise on morals than on economics.

For example, Schmidt’s concern about losing younger voters is that the Party does not realize how they feel about same-sex marriage. “Republicans should re-examine the extent to which we are being defined by positions on issues that I don’t believe are among our core values . . . .”

Meghan McCain expressed similar feelings, hoping that the Republican Party could become an umbrella party, more inclusive, and broader in its appeal.

How will the Republican Party change? On what will it compromise? If, as Schmidt intimates, moral issues are not among its core values, what are its core values?

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Young Evangelicals Leaving the Republican Fold?

Reports continue to surface that Evangelicals, previously assumed to vote Republican as a block, are leaving the Republican fold over issues such as the Iraq war, the economy, and even the environment.

A 2007 survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reported that approximately 15% of young white evangelicals, a traditionally solid republican block, were no longer identifying with the GOP. Older evangelicals are also re-examining their traditional party identifications.

Although there is certainly sufficient reason to debate the current administration's handling of the Iraq war and the U.S. economic situation, other questions arise from this shifting of party loyalties.

1. Will this shift impact the balance of power in congress?
   
2. Will Democrats brought into power by this shift be more moderate in their stance, and hence be at odds with the broader Democratic leadership?

This shift in political allegiance may impact relations among faith groups. Will faith groups seeking to work on common issues such as abortion or pornography, or local issues such as poverty and education, find themselves at odds over political issues, and will these political differences become a stumbling block to getting work done on those issues of common interest?

Seattle Times Article