First posted on Free Republic, May 9, 2003

     It is undeniable: Social conservatives, especially Christian conservatives, have been the base, bread and butter contributors, and footsoldiers of the GOP for decades.

     Yet there are troubling signs on the horizon of the GOP party which must be analyzed and addressed by those same social conservatives.

     The Santorum flap was instrumental in exposing the fact that the GOP has no desire to stand behind those who embrace and express the traditional viewpoint on homosexuality. The unabashed courting of the Log Cabin Republicans has been seen as going hand in hand with the failure of the national GOP leadership to rally around Santorum, and defend his rights and ideals, which are indeed representative of the base of the GOP.

     The Bush administration has announced that it will support the continuation of the Clinton era gun grab known as the Assault Weapons Ban (AWB), despite earlier promising moves from the Ashcroft Attorney General's office that indicated this Administration at least understood the intent of the Second Amendment.

     Finally, some conservative observers and pundits are privately worrying, with good reason, that the GOP will jettison the Pro-Life plank from the GOP party platform before the 2008 elections, if not before. Former PA Governor and current Secretary of Homeland Defense Tom Ridge, considered second in line if Cheney is unable to continue as VP, was one of a handful of GOP governors who demanded the pro-life plank be pulled from the GOP party platform in 1997.

     Obviously, such moves carry no negative repercussions for ambitious GOP movers and shakers, even with the "pro-life" Bush administration. While the Democrats mercilessly apply a pro-abort litmus test to judicial candidates, the GOP is too timid to stand by its own pro-life plank and do likewise.

     It has often been said that the three issues central to social conservatives are abortion, homosexuality, and the Second Amendment. Not all social conservatives agree to the respective ranking of these issues in the top three list, but most agree these three issues are the core social conservative issues.

     Yet the GOP appears to be waffling on all three issues, and all portents indicate this waffling is and will continue to grow into a battle for the soul of the GOP in the next 4-8 years.

     Frankly, I doubt social conservatives are going to come out on top on all three of these core issues. Further, its quite possible that, given current trajectories, the GOP will cave on all three.

     Unfortunately, there are those within the GOP who despise the presence of the social conservative influence among its ranks, and desire nothing less than to move the GOP farther to the left (they will call it being "moderate") to, in effect, leave social conservatives with no party to call "home."

     What then?

     Many argue that its no use going too far down this path of thought. Bush himself has some true "conservative" bona fides, and does not appear willing to allow this "moderating" (read, "Liberalizing") force within the GOP to 100% hold sway. At least we hope this is the case.

     But the battle is upon us, and the conservative movement must decide how to address it. In fact, first and foremost, social conservatives must wake up and realize how far this battle has already advanced, and how much ground the liberalizing forces in the GOP have claimed.

     Then we must, reluctantly, think about the unthinkable:

     What will social conservatives do IF the GOP 1) removes the pro-life plank before 2008, 2) continues its waffling on the homosexual issue, and 3) continues the attack on the Second Amendment which advanced so very far under the previous administration.

     Its time for social conservatives to be pro-active instead of reactive, and to make our voice heard even louder than ever within the GOP.

     The soul of the GOP is at stake, and I for one do not desire to be left politically homeless by 2008.