Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 1, 1992 TAG: 9201020162
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: CAL THOMAS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CONSERVATIVES WON'T BE FOOLED
THE REPUBLICAN Party and the Bush administration may be about to dance
again with the issues that have brought them victory in every presidential
election except one since 1968.
President Bush began the rediscovery of traditional values a few days ago
when he inveighed against "filth" on television (referring to the graphic
testimony during the William Kennedy Smith rape trial) and the condom giveaway
in some public schools.
Then, Republican National Committee Chairman Clayton Yeutter surprised many
by admitting that Bush had made too many compromises that have led to "too
many moderations of his conservative philosophy during his first three years"
as president.
Next, Vice President Quayle "modified" an earlier statement in which he
said the GOP was a "big tent" on the issue of abortion that could tolerate
both pro-life and pro-choice views. Now, Quayle says the "big tent is a
pro-life tent," meaning that the party should maintain its opposition to
abortion but try to pacify pro-choice Republicans.
We have seen this play before. Ronald Reagan used it twice, in 1980 and in
'84. Bush used it in '88. The plot: Persuade voters that you not only have
real convictions about traditional values but that you also intend to do
something about them. The day after the election, forget them and tell people
who voted for you mostly because of your positions on these issues that the
economy or world events has necessitated placing the social agenda on the
"back burner."
That's not going to work this time.
Conservatives won't be fooled again. They want specifics. If Bush is
against filth, will he fire the head of the National Endowment for the Arts
and try to prohibit federal spending for blasphemous and scatological "art"?
If he doesn't like condom handouts, will he pledge on his sacred honor (or
a greater honor than that used to promise no new taxes) not to abandon the
school-choice provision of his "America 2000" education plan - which would
give parents the economic ability to choose public or private, religious or
secular schools for their children?
John Sears, who directed Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign, said last week,
"Right now there isn't a conservative movement to grab hold of." The social
agenda that Reagan used could help rekindle the movement if it has substance
and doesn't resemble what might be called "voodoo values."
Quayle, who plans to spend some time in New Hampshire trying to soften up
support for Patrick Buchanan, told The Wall Street Journal, "I know what
conservatives want, what they stand for." It will be instructive to hear his
list and learn how many of the social issues it contains, along with the
administration's promises and plans for implementing them.
Liberal Democrats are criticizing the president because they say he has
hidden behind the social issues to mask his failure to adequately address the
economy. But the same criticism could be directed at the liberal Democrats.
They have ignored the moral and ethical infrastructure of the country, which,
Republicans can rightly claim, has led to an increase in crime, family
breakups and general corruption at all levels.
Republicans can help themselves by dragging out the traditional-value menu
again, but this time they had better be ready to do more than talk about it.
They'd better act. If they don't, candidates like Patrick Buchanan may appeal
to a lot of conservative voters. Los Angeles Times Syndicate