The mushy muddle
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Sep 01, 2004
Just tell me this:
When editorial columnists tell Republican Party leaders that they need to appeal to centrist voters, why do they always recommend softening the GOP opposition to abortion, embryonic research, and same-sex unions? Couldn't a more "moderate" stand on the war in Iraq have the same effect? Or a more "middle-of-the-road" approach to capital-gains taxes?
Or how about this: Why shouldn't the Democrats be prodded toward the mainstream on these issues? Couldn't they, too, attract more centrist voters, if they weren't such doctrinaire defenders of the culture of death?
In short, why is "moderation" demanded of conservatives but not liberals? And why is it important only on social issues?
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
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