The Anti-Moderate Wave Hits New Hampshire

Bill Binnie is the kind of Republican who should appeal to New England voters: pro-choice and moderate. Why then is he down in the polls?

While the GOP senate primary in New Hampshire has been taking second fiddle to the race in Delaware, people interested in the viability of a moderate candidate do well in the GOP races should take note of the results from the election tonight. Bill Binnie has been a candidate in the race who has talked openly and frankly about some of his more moderate political views, yet recent polling suggests he looks set to lose. The fact that he is an openly pro-choice candidate opposing two candidates who have made a point highlighting their more traditional conservative credentials probably plays a part in this.

Binnie has taken the unexpected step of being open and forthright about his pro-choice positions. His campaign has a radio ad where he declares that he is a “proud” pro-choice Republican, and also reminds voters about this stance in another television ad. FrumForum asked Binnie’s campaign manager about what this position meant about his view of conservatism. The response seemed to indicate that they viewed this social issue as a distraction from economic problems  “Bill is a strong fiscal conservative, I don’t think there is any question of that…I can speak to Bill and his conservative message of a smaller government.”

Binnie opponents have taken tried to highlight their own conservative credentials. Lamontagne’s website has Laura Inghram’s quote that he is “Only true conservative” in the race on the top as a banner. It's a message that seems to resonate with some voters, such as Tea Party activist Amy Badurina, the head of the “North County Patriots” group. She explained why the Tea Partiers seemed attracted to Lamontagne, “Ovide Lamontagne got many people’s attention because he is the only one who has always been pro-life.  (And he’s also not backed by the establishment.)”

Both Lamontagne and Kelly Ayotte do spend a lot of time advocating  positions that are similar, if not identical, to most other conservative candidates in this election cycle, arguing that they are against wasteful spending, and Obamacare. The Tea Party movement usually tries to highlight its focus on economic and government issues, and even some evangelicals are worried the social issues don't get as much attention as they used to. Yet in New Hampshire’s primary, one lesson might be that social issues still matter for the people who vote in primaries.