Republicans Must Defend Freedom of Religion

The Supreme Court ruling requiring the legalization of same-sex marriage and the attacks on Christians who can not and will not participate in SSMs have made freedom of religion that much more of a presenting issue in this country.  Republicans had better get on the right side of this issue with more than words.  And that not only because it is the right side but also for their own political survival.

The conservative base support of the GOP has again and again seen Republican leadership sell them out, on Obamacare, on illegal immigration, on trade, etc. etc. Really, the GOP Establishment has stabbed conservatives in the back again and again.  Will they do so even on freedom of religion?

It is not for nothing that support for Donald Trump is high, second among GOP candidates at this writing.  He really should not be doing well.  He should be a joke, and he is in some ways.  But he is at least putting on a good show of fighting for conservative American citizens and their values and even getting angry about what is going on in this country.  There are a multitude of Republican candidates for POTUS but how many are so sharing in the anger of the Republican base?  The base is rightly feeling that precious few in politics are fighting for them - and some are desperate enough even to look at Trump.

Patience is running out - the base is fed up with GOP and its quisling establishment leaders.  If now the GOP cannot bring itself to do something as basic and American as defending the religious freedom of its base and of all Americans, that will be the last straw.  Further, if the GOP nominates a candidate for President who is tepid in defense of Freedom of Religion (not to mention the rest of the Constitution), the base will not turn out for him and may even go Third Party as I’ve warned before.

So allow me to amend my headline: Republicans must defend freedom of religion . . . or else.