AMERICA is bored with the culture wars. After years of heated division over high-minded issues such as the placement of 10 Commandments statues and the preservation of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, it appears as though the politics of division no longer arouse Americans' political passions. This abatement of passions is apparent not only on the national political scene, but also in the actions and rhetoric of local activists.
The first signs of Americans' waning interest in "moral values" issues arose last year. Although the Democratic tidal wave may have garnered the lion's share of the headlines, down the ballot referenda sponsored by social conservatives failed to galvanize the electorate like they did in 2004. Though most gay marriage initiatives succeeded in restricting gay marriage, they passed by much smaller margins and with much less fanfare than their counterparts in 2004. Even more significantly, social conservatives witnessed the South Dakota amendment banning abortion in the solidly conservative state go down to an ignominious 12-point defeat.
With Americans preoccupied with more pressing concerns about the war in Iraq, the growing sub-prime mortgage crisis and the gradual unraveling of our health care system, the culture warriors of years past seem to be just going through the motions these days. On a national level, the culture war's waning influence is typified by the decision of prominent evangelist Pat Robertson to endorse pro-choice, pro-gay rights presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.
Though some social conservatives would defend Pat Robertson's endorsement on strategic grounds, arguing Rudy Giuliani is the Republican presidential candidate most likely to win in 2008, it is undoubtedly a sign of weakness for movement when one of its most prominent leaders ignores a candidate's opposition to its core principles, becoming a rubber stamp for conventional wisdom about electability.
Moreover, Robertson himself admitted the social issues of the culture wars have declined in importance relative to foreign policy concerns. He justified his endorsement largely in terms of support for Giuliani's hawkish foreign policy, noting, "The overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists."
Signs of the declining rancor of the culture wars are also manifesting closer to home as social conservative groups temper their rhetoric to appeal to more moderate audiences. Hoos for Life's recent presentation "Abortion: A Woman's Perspective" reflected this trend.
The presentation consisted of a personal statement from a woman who testified to the negative effects of her decision to have an abortion followed by a presentation from Dr. Karen Poehailos, who argued public health officials have not given the public an accurate portrayal of the physical and psychological harms of abortion.
While the presentation had its share of harsh invective -- Poehailos quoted fringe pro-abortion eugenicists to tar the mainstream pro-choice movement -- it was mostly free of polarizing rhetoric about the life of the fetus and focused primarily on arguments concerning the welfare of women who receive abortions. This approach, replicated by other moderate pro-life groups elsewhere in the country, constitutes a shift away from the abrasive rhetoric so prevalent at the height of the culture wars. Although pro-life groups are no less opposed to abortion than they were 10 years ago, their less strident rhetoric reflects recognition that most Americans have stopped responding to the Manichean tones of the culture wars.
Though it would be foolhardy to claim Pat Robertson will come out in favor of gay marriage, or that social conservatives will stop caring about Roe v. Wade, the tone of the debate about social issues has become decidedly less polarizing as the culture wars have become less politically significant. Regardless of one's opinions on social issues, most people would agree the country is better off when politicians have to discuss their plans for reforming our health care system or formulating strategy for the war in Iraq rather than their opinions of the "war on Christmas", or Teletubbies' sexuality.
Adam Keith's column usually appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at akeith@cavalierdaily.com.
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