How Anti-Gay Marriage special interests will destroy the GOP more than Donald Trump

The Republican Party has become a war zone and a lot is made of Donald Trump’s effect on the situation. Trump, a controversial businessman who has made donations to Democratic and Republican interests, has put the party leadership in an uncomfortable position with a series of heavy policy positions such as building a big Mexican-financed wall or prosecuting women for abortions. Senator Ted Cruz is picking up steam as the anti-Trump movement finally unites and a national convention, which is generally a simple coronation, is setting up to be a polarizing battleground.

The Republican Party is a wreck, but there’s another threat to stability.

Politico has an interesting article about how the anti-LGBT right is preparing to hold the party hostage if it’s fringe demands are not met.

The current party platform holds a position contrary to the message of freedom, which involves placing government between married people and regulating who can enter in a private contract and who cannot. Many evangelical groups are preparing to ensure traditional marriage remains in the platform.

From Politico:

“Conservative forces need to understand there is a serious challenge, and they need to take it seriously,” said Jim Bopp, an influential social conservative activist who helped to craft the GOP platform in 2012.

“We’re prepared for the fight,” said Ed Martin, the president of Eagle Forum, a leading evangelical group. “It’s hand-to-hand combat.”

Martin predicted there would be little desire to alter party’s stance on marriage — doing so he argued, would discourage evangelical voters from heading to the polls in November.

The problem with social conservatism is it’s conflict with conservatism itself. If liberalism is inflating the size of government, what should conservative naturally be? The opposite. Whereas liberals aim to have government involved in marriage, conservatism should want to get government out of marriage.

The anti-LGBT forces specifically aren’t opposed to big government, but instead just want big government in their control.

Are two homosexuals getting married going to hurt two religious heterosexuals’ marriage? The answer should be no, and if it isn’t, then perhaps marriage counseling is in order.

This Republican National Convention is already going to be a nightmare. While many new recruits to the Republican Party are joining forces with disaffected Republicans to bring Donald Trump to frontrunner status, Trump is not the favorite among many more established and long term conservatives, as well as many libertarians and social conservatives. The inevitable result has been the rise of Senator Ted Cruz, who is now the leader of the anti-Trump movement in this primary.

And neither will be the nominee in a floor fight.

The damage from this chaos will be more than enough to take down the Republican Party going into the general election, but now the anti-homosexual forces and social conservatives who put government force before freedom will threaten to hurt any remaining hope of unity.

Politico quoted Eagle Forum president Ed Martin:

“We’re prepared for the fight,” said Ed Martin, the president of Eagle Forum, a leading evangelical group. “It’s hand-to-hand combat.”

Martin predicted there would be little desire to alter party’s stance on marriage — doing so he argued, would discourage evangelical voters from heading to the polls in November.

Even starting the conversation, he warned, would have consequences.

Many pundits and political observers make a lot out of Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric and his selfish approach politics. To a degree, they are correct. Trump has talked about punching people and said if the Republican Party doesn’t nominate him, he may run third party.

But Trump isn’t the only force threatening to fragment the Republican Party ahead of a critical election.

Martin, like other anti-gay marriage special interests involved in this coming convention fight, are using heated rhetoric and threatening to take their ball and go home if things don’t go their way. How is this productive?

Social conservatives could easily destroy the Republican Party’s electoral chances much more than Donald Trump could ever hope to. And there apparently aren’t many Republicans upset about the possibility.

Chris Dixon

About Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon is a libertarian-leaning writer and managing editor for The Liberty Conservative. In addition to his political writing, he also covers baseball for Cleat Geeks and enjoys writing on a number of other topics ranging on Medium.