Writing in the Washington Examiner, Philip Klein argues that the GOP needs an outreach to unmarried people, especially unmarried women. He entirely omits what "outreach" might consist of. In the words of Shakespeare, "Ay, there's the rub."
Of course we'd like the votes of the unmarried, especially women. The question remains, what do they want from government and how are those demands compatible with GOP values?
Many have argued that single women, particularly single moms, want the government to be a stand-in "husband" - a provider and helpmate. To do that government has to grow, give more handouts, not what GOP voters seek.
Then too, a substantial number of singles are not heterosexual. Their demands of government-enforced equality and legitimacy run head on into the conflicting demands of a substantial GOP block of voters: social conservatives, who find the gay lifestyle anathema.
In sum, we'd love the votes of the unmarried but don't want to provide what they seek from government. Squaring that circle won't happen anytime soon.
