The Religious Right

The sun may be setting on social conservatism, said Ellen Goodman in The Boston Globe. Under George W. Bush, the Christian right has exercised astonishing control over the national agenda, using 'œwedge issues' such as gay marriage and abortion to divide the country. But ever since social conservatives tried to keep Terri Schiavo on a feeding tube last year, Americans have begun to recoil from the extremism of 'œthe loony right.' A full backlash is now underway. Last week, with the support of key Republicans and 70 percent of the American public, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to increase federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Bush vetoed the bill to please his base—but at a high political price. He's now being widely denounced for favoring week-old embryos over the millions of suffering human beings whose maladies might be cured by stem cells. After more than five years of faith-based public policy, 'œwe've begun to see daylight emerge between common sense and nonsense.'

It's about time, said John Tierney in The New York Times. By trying to impose their own values on the rest of America, 'œRepublicans are looking like moral Grinches.' Bush's veto of stem-cell research, which could hold the key to curing all manner of horrible diseases, was typical. Though Bush tried to 'œpresent it as a defense of life, he couldn't compete with the images of paralyzed adults asking for help.' Even many Republicans are backing away from the religious right, said E.J. Dionne in The Washington Post. Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose conservative credentials can't be faulted, is urging that his party reach out 'œbecause our base isn't big enough to propel us to victory 10 years from now.' Remember, Graham says, liberalism reigned supreme until its extremist dogma alienated mainstream voters. The same thing, he says, 'œcould happen to conservatism.'

Don't get your hopes up, said Cynthia Tucker in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Though they remain a minority even among Republicans, the 'œtheocrats' still make national policy. Thanks to their hold on Bush, they've greatly slowed stem-cell research. They've also gotten Bush to stock the federal courts with judges who share their goals. Social conservatives have also blocked over-the-counter sales of morning-after birth control, loosened rules on religious proselytizing in public places, and succeeded in making abortion nearly unavailable in many red states. Republicans who hope to succeed Bush—including centrists Sen. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani—are now lining up to curry favor with the likes of Rev. Jerry Falwell. Let's face it. 'œThe extremists are still winning.'

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