Republicans Have Lost the Culture War

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Culture War is over. The Republicans lost. Hey, don't take my word for it. I found out when I read about an interview given last week by one Dave Kochel, a former adviser to the campaign of a guy named Mitt Romney. (Remember Mitt Romney? I hear he ran for President once.)

Kochel gave an interview on a TV station in his home state of Iowa, in which he mentioned, as many others have, the "demographic shift" in the country and how younger voters want to move away from "the arguments we've been having" on the culture wars, which "the Republicans largely lost."

He described a growing number of Republicans, including former RNC Chairman and George W. Bush adviser Ken Mehlman, who are openly advocating marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Kochel also mentioned that for his children's generation, issues such as abortion and birth control are "largely settled," and not in a way that would make Rick Santorum happy.

He wound up by observing that he hears "a lot of conversation off the record, people talking about how they'd like to move on past some of these old fights we've been having, and can't talk about it."

It should be remembered that Kochel, according to his company's website, is the guy who advised Lord Mitt, the Earl of Romney, in "Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, and nationally" - all arenas in which His Lordship lost.

But don't take just his word for it either. The Boy Scouts of America abruptly announced that they're reconsidering their ban on gay members and leaders; the Defense Department finally lifted the ban on women in combat; and right wing poster girl and Culture Warrior Queen Sarah Palin got ignominiously dropped by Faux News.

Oh, and Jim Nabors, Mayberry's very own Gomer Pyle, married his male partner after 38 years.

On other fronts as well, the storm troops of the far right have begun to abandon the redoubts they once vowed to defend.

Republican and Democratic leaders got together on an immigration reform proposal that included a "path to citizenship" for the undocumented, something that was once as unthinkable to a right wing Culture Warrior as surrender would have been to a World War II-era Japanese soldier.

The House, as noted last week, passed a bill raising the debt ceiling without the spending cuts the Teahadists once claimed were the hill they'd chosen to die on (and take the U.S. economy with them) rather than surrender. Across this great land of ours, there are signs that we may be seeing The Twilight of the Wingnuts.

Now, I don't expect the most fanatical Culture Warriors to throw down their arms and greet the victors with flowers. It would take a complete chump to believe a war would end like that. I expect that there'll be some diehards and dead-enders who'll take to the hills in a sort of insurgency.

They'll probably engage in a few acts of political hostage-taking and terrorism by threatening to blow things up if they don't get their way. Metaphorically speaking, of course. At least I hope so.

And I know that for the next few years, we'll be finding islands with holdouts who refuse to admit that the war is over. In fact, I suspect we may be living on one such island right now here in North Carolina.

But demographics are inexorable. In 1992, Pat Buchanan rose from the ashes of his own defeated presidential campaign and declared the Culture War - in a speech, it should be noted, that helped move me from a moderate seriously considering voting for Bush the Elder into a confirmed Clinton liberal. But Buchanan is 74 now and finding it harder to find a network who'll let him on.

His sister Bay, also once an ubiquitous right wing pundit, has reportedly given up the fight and gotten her real estate license.

Most of the formerly reliable foot soldiers of the Culture War are getting pretty long in the tooth. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who's only crazy about 85 percent of the time, called it while in a lucid interval: "We're not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business over the long term."

So the signs give me hope that the Teahadists of the Rabid Right will continue their long decline, their Wingnutdammerung, if you will, and the Republican Party can free itself from their tyranny. Then maybe we can start having some rational debates over issues in this country.

There won't be as much material for mockery, but it's a small price to pay.

Dusty Rhoades lives, writes and practices law in Carthage. Contact him at dustyr@nc.rr.com.

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kzowens 3 months, 2 weeks ago

What'ya mean the cultural war is over? You didn't hear that on Fox News.

Judging from many of the comments to the Columns and Letters to the Editor, some ain't accepting that the Civil War is over yet. And a lot of 'em are right here in North Carolina--but they are dying out.

Great perspective as usual, Dusty.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Thanks, kzowens.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

nothingspecial 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I liked your column, Dusty. I think you may be right that many are being talked into going over to the other side on some aspects of the culture war. I may be wrong but I believe that war refers to the brick wall liberals feel they have run into, arguing with christian and muslim conservatives that they should relax their standards related to abortion and the cultural celebration and support for the homosexual lifestyle, to name the most obvious examples of impasse. Those two are never going to be agreed upon by the two sides because they run into our christian values that cannot be compromised, and which we have every right to support as vehemently as those who support opposing causes do. The government might eventually allow civil unions for anyone and many forms of birth control are accepted by christians and non-christians alike, but you have a long "war" ahead of you if you hope to convince folks to change their christian or muslim values. I would caution you about declaring victory and ask instead that you remember your party's (and our party's) supposedly agreed upon claims about allowing free exercise of all of our rights.

The_AnonymusProfit 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Things we could do right now if the right and left would stop with all yhe fringe stuff.

End world hunger(we could do this literally right this minute)

End african famine such as malaria.

Almost end aids(this would require the catholic church joining the 21stright century)

End homelessness

Adding to this we have the ability to clothe, educate, immunize, shelter, and generally care for every single person on this planet.

kzowens 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Nothing Special: "I may be wrong but I believe that war refers to the brick wall liberals feel they have run into, arguing with christian and muslim conservatives that they should relax their standards related to abortion and the cultural celebration and support for the homosexual lifestyle."

You are wrong, and I don’t think you have any idea of what the culture war refers to. No moderates on either side or “liberals” (as you perceive them) have asked anyone to relax their standards. All that is hoped for is for you to understand that others should not be required to adhere to your standards. In case you didn’t know it, the “war” against abortion is over.

JimHeim 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Actually, the congress didn't raise the debt ceiling; they eliminated it completely for ninety days. Mr Obama is now free to sell all of the bonds he wants without regard to the effect on the national debt. Those Republicans are some sharp operators. They've got him right where he needs to be.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I liked your column, Dusty.

Thank you, ns. As kzowens pointed out, no one's asking you to give up your religion. Just don't ask everyone to follow it. You think gay sex is a sin, don't have it. You think abortion is murder, don't have one. That's what pro-choice means.

And if you say "well, abortion IS murder" because your religion says it is, then you miss the point.

nothingspecial 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Kzowens, I think what you mean by your "all that is hoped for" comment is exactly what I said. Watch that you don't go labeling those who don't agree with you as boogie men.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

But I like boogie men!

kc & the Sunshine Band - I'm Your Boogie Man (Atual Ao vivo) by albeju

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Or, if you like your boogie men a little scarier:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmdat_white-zombie-i-m-your-boogie-man_music#.UQ8J36XoRNM

njc17 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Well I don't like the column, I don't like Dusty's exclusive attitude and I don't like the pigeonholing the conservative as the "wingnut' crowd. It's as if the Pilot is trying, deliberately , to drive the conservative away from their newspaper with bull offal like this. The conservative looks to salvage what honor and value is left. Salvage the Christian ethos which is slowly being drained from the history of what made this nation great in the first place.

nothingspecial 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Exactly, wdd. Where are the victors?

JD 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Where are the victors?

Jim Nabors, Mayberry's very own Gomer Pyle, married his male partner after 38 years.

There's two 'victors' among others.

Courseaire 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Dusty - I've just figured out that you've become the "Rush" of the left. Just as "Rush" loves to hear himself talk the same drivel over & over, you love to write the same.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

And yet, you and the other wingnuts keep reading. Maybe you just like being angry.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Courseaire: Yeah, I'm just like Rush, but without the prescription drug addiction.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I predicted there'd be some diehards and dead-enders. And lo! Even as I have said it, it has come to pass.

Courseaire 3 months, 1 week ago

As proof to my statement above, not counting this comment, of the 21 comments above, 8 are Dusty's.

dustyrhoades 3 months, 1 week ago

And 6 of those are responses to other people, and two of them are "thank you"s. So what's your point again? That you know how to count? Fine, here's a cookie.

kzowens 3 months, 1 week ago

njc & wdd: Actually Dusty doesn’t pigeonhole all conservatives as “wingnuts.” He pigeonholes the Tea Party and the extreme Right Wing as “wingnuts” because they are “wingnuts.”

Dusty simply points out how socially embarrassing “wingnuts” like Rush Limbaugh and his followers are—especially Rush’s sole mate, Robert Levy.

If you want to read only what your soul mates have to say, there are columns in every issue of The Pilot that do that.

You really need to understand that there are views other than your own. Don’t be offended that The Pilot is fair enough to print them.

teufelhunden 3 months, 1 week ago

Nothing to be proud of...

Seriously???? No one "wins" when our country is becoming more and more immoral and depraved.

No thank you. No thank you very much.

Personal liberties should be kept personal not controlled by goverment.

Our "culture" is headed for the sh*tter...

njc17 3 months, 1 week ago

No Dusty, but you keep proving my point, you, David Woronof and the liberal leaders of the Pilot truly want the conservative voice shut down here, you want the good folks of Moore county to lockstep with your brand of progressive liberalism, to join in the moral decay and corruptive politics of the socialist movement. As the Culture has moved to an antiChristian/Judeo stance I would HOPE the Republicans not even be in that war. The Gay agenda, The entitlement society, the blanket disregard of the Constitution, throwing Israel underthe bus for the Moslim pacifence. That being said, sadly the Republicans seem to feel the need to wallow in the mud with the LP's.

teufelhunden 3 months, 1 week ago

Dang njc17-that was brilliant!!! Tell them the TRUTH. They're only interested in what feels good and what lets them wield more power.

dentman65 3 months, 1 week ago

Dusty I know you are out there waiting to pounce on me......you may be right about the war....and the Republicans losing it. But I don't think it is a war that anyone can be proud of yet alone brag about. The ultimate loser of this"war" is our children. Aren't our children's future what most of this is all about? The moral and legal changes we make today you and I will only love or hate for what time we have left on this earth. It is our children who will reap the benefits or carry the burdens of what we do today. I have great respect for your education and ability to stir a pot. You get me red-faced quite a bit. But you do make me stop and take time to think about where I stand on many things. And that may be your whole purpose. But as educated people we know that a man with-out a backbone cannot stand erect, A man without convictions and beliefs is simply a man "without." So I think it is safe to say that we can at least agree a man like you or myself that is willing to make a stand and argue thier point is at least worth admiring, even if we don't see eye to eye. Regardless of politics or religion, you have stated that if you don't like it, don't do it. Fine by me. We are all blessed with free-will. We don't need religion or a constitution to tell us that. The only opinion that counts is our own. It doesn't sound like you will change your way of living based on what anyone says but yourself,and that is the way it should be. Since I won't judge you on your choices, and you won't judge me on mine, then I think this county is big enough for both of us to live in. Make it a great day!

teufelhunden 3 months, 1 week ago

Well said dentman65. I would rather lose with principles than "win" without any.

Many people are just lost and they don't know it yet they will argue that they're "enlightened". Enlightened and apathetic are two different things. We all have free will and can choose to live how we want to live ...for now. Our opinions are our own and cannot be correct or incorrect. Although we didn't necessarily cause the downward spiral, our country is circling the drain...I'm not okay with that but all I can do is stand by my principles...just like everyone else.

nothingspecial 3 months, 1 week ago

Jim Heim found a victor!!!

Republicans Have Lost the Culture War

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