I frequently read about people who describe themselves as fiscal conservatives and social liberals. When I was a liberal, I did not know the real definition of either term, “fiscal conservative” and “social liberal.” I thought the combination meant, “I am prosperous but don’t like paying my fair share of taxes, however I do like sleeping around and don’t like being guilt-tripped about it.”
If any liberals have stumbled in here and gotten this far, the liberal/Leftist mainstream media would never make sure you understand the terms and the theory behind them — although, funnily enough, conservative media does — so let me explain. A fiscal conservative is someone who embraces capitalism, social mobility and meritocracy as the formula for the progress of individuals AND their nation. He or she IS willing to pay his or her fair share of taxes but sees that the preservation of individual liberty requires that individuals be allowed to keep enough of the money they have earned to accumulate wealth AND to decide for themselves the good causes to which they will give their money. Their love of individual liberty extends into the social arena, so as social liberals they believe the government should mind its own beeswax and not have laws interfering in the business of consenting adults when no one is getting hurt.
Recently I had the thought that the conservative movement doesn’t just have social conservatives who are also fiscal conservatives, and fiscal conservatives who are also social liberals — it has social conservatives who are fiscal liberals. And it crossed my mind that this is the demographic that handed victory to Obama/Biden in November 2008 because John McCain was not enough of a social conservative for them, so they could not vote for his fiscal conservatism — and they couldn’t vote for Obama/Biden because of Obama’s extreme support of abortion — but they liked the idea of the all-succoring government that Obama promised and stayed home on election day and built stalls for their promised unicorns instead of voting.
Gentle readers — you have been conservatives much longer than I have. ARE there social conservatives/fiscal liberals on the Right? What do you know about their habitat, beliefs and behaviors? Are they the ones promoting the policies of “compassionate conservatism”? Do you think their determination to make conservatism pre-eminently about social conservatism and their willingness to sell out the ideals of fiscal conservatism — or their rejection of fiscal conservatism — have anything to do with how conservatism foundered during George W. Bush’s presidency?
If these creatures exist on the Right, what is the best way to learn more about them? I know they exist on the Left — they can easily be identified by their denunciations of lesbians and gays and their determination that we should never have equality under the law.
Pingback: Tweets that mention Question for my gentle readers: What do you know about social conservatives who are fiscal liberals? â” Cynthia Yockey, A Conservative Lesbian -- Topsy.com