Christian but not conservative?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/conservative-evangelicals-implore-gop-presidential-hopefuls-tone-down-181946140.html


For me it is more interesting to read about something unexpected than to read about something that confirms mainstream expectations. Mainstream expectations is that evangelicals are political conservatives and thus adhere to all of the aspects of a politically conservative agenda. To read about how these evangelicals, who to the best of my knowledge are Republicans, make this break from conservative hysteria is quite refreshing. Perhaps it is through ministries to Hispanics that they have more of concern for immigrants and not so harsh with them. Regardless of the reason, they clearly break the conservative mold that we are tempted to put them in.
But this brings up an even bigger issue for me. Since I am a political independent, I often wonder how people can hold to either a politically progressive or conservative framework. You see, a progressive or a conservative political ideology is socially constructed. Those who hold to them naturally believe that they have the best solutions to political problems. The conservative believes that what is called "conservatism" is the best answer to issues as varied as tax reform, abortion, national defense, environmental issues, educational policy etc. The progressive believes that what is called "liberalism" is the best answer to those issues as well.
Here is what gets me. Neither the conservative or the liberal is consistent in their answers. Come on now. How can the conservative state that the government should be smaller and then push for an expansionist foreign policy? How can the progressive state that the government should pay so that a woman has a "choice" in abortion but not pay for school choice which would give her options on where to send her kid to school? I am certain that both the conservative and the progressive feels comfortable with that they have an underlying philosophy that explains such disparities. I remain unconvinced.
This is why I see political ideology is socially constructed. It is not driven by some underlying philosophy but rather it serves a certain segment of the population at a given time. We create an identity because of that philosophy and then find ways to adhere to that identity. If a new political issue comes up that we have not yet encountered then we try to find the "conservative" or "progressive" perspective on that issue and then accept the one that fits our political identity. This allows us to belief we have the right answer to a variety of issues we have not thought deeply about even while we conceptualize enemies (i.e. the other political philosophy) that we can blame all of society's problems on.
That is why what the evangelicals did was so cool. They basically broke the the political philosophy they support because they have an underlying philosophy that overrides their identity as a political conservative. By doing this they show that they are independent thinkers and dare I say it, critical thinkers. Hey maybe they even have a little trouble-maker in them.
 
Sincerely,
 
Trouble-Maker