the tindog coffeehouse

A new study by the left-leaning organization Media Matters for America indicates that American voters are, well, leaning to the left. Among their findings:

• 62% of respondents agree with the statement that “government has become bigger because the problems we face have become bigger” (an increase of 3 points since 2004), while 37% say that “the main reason government has gotten bigger over the years is because it has gotten involved in things that people should do for themselves”.
• 66% say that “there are more things government should be doing” (an increase of 9 points since 2004), while 32% say that “less government is better”.
• 59% say that “business corporations make too much profit”.
• 54% say that “it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage”.
• Over 40% say that abortion is “always a personal choice”, while about 15% say it should “never be permitted”.
• 61% support same-sex marriage or civil unions.
• 61% support embryonic stem cell research.

(Full report here – PDF)

Of course, it’s easy to dismiss such a report. After all, Media Matters isn’t exactly being “fair and balanced”. But honestly, these numbers don’t surprise me. It’s pretty clear there’s been a fundamental cultural shift over the last twenty years, and I think we’re now hitting a tipping point. If that’s true, we’ll see the above percentages continue to rise in the years to come.

It just proves the quote from John Wesley, “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”

So then for Republicans, what should the response be? Should the GOP move to the center, soften its stance on abortion, same-sex marriage, and other social issues typically dominated by Democrats? Should it be the “big tent” party that moderates such as Sen. Olympia Snowe say it should be?

No.

The worst thing the GOP can do is abandon its traditionally core conservative values in order to win elections. Yes, of course that means that they’re going to continue to lose many elections at the state and federal level for the foreseeable future, but in my opinion, it’s better to lose an election than compromise your beliefs.

Despite the above numbers, there are still many Americans who would characterize themselves as political and social conservatives. The tide might be shifting, but that simply underscores the necessity for standing firm and refusing to compromise for the sake of popularity.