Why Are Republicans also Social Conservatives

[liberty_swag]

This isn't so much a question about the LP as it is about the RP, and perhaps it's implications for the LP. Aside from the fact that Republicans are no different than Democrats in contributing to policies that are primed towards debt-accumulation, imperialism, and partisanism, I'm wondering what separates Republicans from Libertarians other than their separate visions of what American's social landscape should be.

Why do Republicans, while fiscally conservative, obstinately cling to social conservatism? Is there some connection between the two that I'm missing here? What does financial deregulation and lower taxes have to do with the whole anti-choice, anti-LGBT, pro-Christian mentality that pervades Republican politics? Isn't this the reason that the tea-party, while borne of libertarian principles, became associated with and corrupted by the GOP?

[Mik]

The short answer is most republicans really don't believe in liberty or free markets, although they use a lot of the language. There are more extensive discussions of this under the Political Discussion board.

[mkelley_25]

Did you read Herman Cain's comments that stated something along the lines of, "what I do in the privacy of my home/office shouldn't be open for discussion in public"?

[Mik]

I think that overall, the field of GOP contenders for the presidential nomination is appallingly bad. There are a few exceptions, though.