Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s op-ed in the New York Times marks the whimpering end of an unholy alliance. The letter itself was a ham-handed attempt to capture the 2016 evangelical vote before Sen. Ted Cruz does. But the very crudity of his piece revealed that the union at the heart of Movement Conservatism is ripping apart.
In his op-ed, Jindal undertook to explain to business leaders how Movement Conservatism works. Its political strategy, he lectured, “requires populist social conservatives to ally with the business community on economic matters and corporate titans to side with social conservatives on cultural matters.” The governor is right: Since the 1980s big business interests have managed to secure policies that have concentrated wealth at the very top of the economic ladder, and they have managed their coup only with the help of the votes of social conservatives.
But Jindal’s hyperbolic posturing as he warns “any corporation” “bullying” social conservatives into accepting same-sex marriage to “Save your breath,” reveals a touchstone moment: This grand alliance is over....What follows is a must-read on the history of US politics, and the GOP in particular, since the Eisenhower administration.
Seeing such a caricature of the bargain that made Movement Conservatism succeed could create the magical moment in which the party finally rejects the devil’s bargain it struck in the 1950s.If only.
What is especially revealing is that the situation which Americans find themselves today is not the result simply of ignorance but also of political manipulation of prejudice and bigotry.
Salon
Bobby Jindal just splintered the GOP: The unholy alliance between Fox News and the 1 percent can no longer stand
Heather Cox Richardson
I dont think its necessary for all participants to be in 100% agreement on everything to form a political coalition. ...
ReplyDeleteI think that what we are seeing is a division in commerce between social liberals and social conservatives. We may be witnessing the birth of a dual economy in the US, one whose firms are patronized chiefly by social conservatives and another patronized by social liberals who object to what they perceive as discrimination. if discrimination would be permitted on social grounds in addition to religious ones, then their would be a libertarian division, too, that discriminates ethnically.
ReplyDeleteMost large businesses are likely not going to see that as in their interests, and social conservatives and social liberals are forcing them to take a stand.
This is the problem with liberalism. If people are truly free, for example, with freedom of association, then they are free to make others unfree by excluding them and limiting their choices.
This battle has already been waged with clubs that legally exclude women, Jews, non-whites, etc. They lost that battle when those who participated were shamed and boycotted.
This could be a real kerfuffle developing. We'll have to wait and see. But it seems to meI that social conservatives are sending a strong and clear message that this is a red line for them.
GOP politicians will also have to take a clear stand the way Cruz is structuring the race for the nomination. He is not going let anyone hide in the shadows.
Jindal is in trouble in his home state. Even conservatives are disgusted with his mismanagement.
ReplyDeleteI'm not envisioning any big civil war within the GOP. What are disgruntled conservatives going to do, vote for Hillary?
Right Dan
ReplyDeleteConservatives have these moments every election season but in the end they have to stick with the GOP candidate no matter who it is because they have been programmed to see the Dems as THE devil. Out of line GOP candidates are just being tempted by the devil and can easily repent, but the Dems ARE the devil.
Corporations are simply getting to the point where there is no choice for the consumer.
You don't like how corp A treats their employees or discriminates and want to boycott? Okay! Your only other option is corp B, which happens to be a subsidiary of corp A.
Small businesses are another matter but most rely on a small but loyal group of customers and aren't really affected by boycotts.
Conservatives are always divided. Yet they are united in their deep hatred of liberals.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats are also divided. But they usually convince themselves that there is no alternative.
Conservatives have these moments every election season but in the end they have to stick with the GOP candidate no matter who it is because they have been programmed to see the Dems as THE devil.
ReplyDeleteSame with the Dems.
I was just reading a study showing that voters don't vote for who they want but against who they don't want.
So most people just hold their nose and vote for the least bad candidate based on their party alignment.