Did the GOP Really Lose Its Way?

Many conservative politicians, radio hosts, and pundits have repeatedly stated their shared belief that the Republican Party "lost its way" prior to the 2008 election. Rather, the movement consists of fiscal conservatives, limited government conservatives, libertarians, pro-business conservatives, social conservatives, neoconservatives, and others. When Democrats control government, these disparate conservative groups share many common goals. They all wish to reduce the power of government and they all wish to reduce taxes and spending. Conservatives all rallied around statements like, "guns don't kill people ... people kill people," while GOP candidates gladly signed term limit pledges and Grover Norquist's Taxpayer Protection Pledge. United, the GOP won control of the House and the Senate in 1994, and later won the presidency in 2000.

This coalition remained united in opposition to President Clinton through the remainder of the 1990s. George W. Bush's presidential victory in 2000 gave the GOP total control of the federal government and, unfortunately, sometimes nothing ruins success like success. Far from losing their way, factions within the GOP simply asserted their own visions of conservatism.

The first casualty was any support - beyond empty rhetoric - for limited government. Others, especially leaders of the social conservatives, simply wished for the federal government to be weaker when Democrats were in the majority.

Many social conservatives were unhappy with changes that occurred in America since the 1960s. Rather than relying on changing the hearts and minds of Americans within the context of a free society or advocating for a small federal government that would not harm traditional values, their national leadership instead believed the GOP-controlled federal government could and should actively bring about the changes they sought.

Moving these social conservative activist bills through Congress required compromises within the movement and with the opposition. Additionally, passing bills desired by social conservatives often required some Democratic votes, and that often meant funding programs those Democrats wanted in exchange.

To keep the conservative coalition together, most Republican politicians simply kowtowed to the demands of the James Dobsons and the Pat Robertsons of the movement on the assumption that other conservatives had nowhere else to go.