Rather, Emery observes that operating in a two party system, the Republican Party is a center-right party which includes, or should, everybody to the right of center in U.S. politics. She holds that while the conservative movement can be as pure and exclusionary as it chooses, the Republican Party should not. Its big tent should include everyone whose views don't fit comfortably in the Democrat Party. That is:
The Republican party is the vehicle for the center-right of the American polity, a group that includes the conservative movement, but is not quite of it, and includes many people who touch the conservative movement with different degrees of intensity, or only lightly, or on only a limited number of points.I relate to Emery's party model. I agree with the GOP on tough defense and foreign policy, limited government and spending, lower taxes, and tough law enforcement. On the other hand, I agree with the Dems on abortion, secularization of government and the need for government regulation of the marketplace. At this point in our history, I don't think either party represents me on immigration. Both seem to favor amnesty for illegals.
I end up mostly voting GOP because I think defense is the most important thing government does. In other words, I touch the conservative movement in some places, not in others. On balance I'm a Republican, but not entirely a movement conservative.
