Family Values
For the past decade or so, not-so-thinly veiled racism, openly rabid homophobia, loathing of the poor, subjugation of women, and love of corporation over country have been spun as “family values” in the messages conservative politicians have spewn. Stammering “family values” and “Clinton BJ” have literally served as get out of jail, or more accurately, get out of investigation free cards under the Republican controlled congress. Newt Gingrich figured out that nearly anything is forgivable, or forgettable, as long as “family values” is the campaign slogan come election season.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve cringed at hearing “the sanctity of marriage.” It’s good to know that the morality party (what a joke writing that is now) has pushed the religious right’s message so vocally to no avail. For the first time, unmarried households reign in US. The statistics are in the link, but this paragraph rings true. It appears that promoting traditional marriage has worked about as well as promoting abstinence:
It indicated that efforts by President George W. Bush and his allies, who over the past five years have made a concerted effort to shore up traditional marriage and families through tax breaks, special legislation and church-sponsored campaigns is bearing little fruit.
The shift, experts said, also raises the question about the future effectiveness of so-called "family value" politics currently played by both Republicans and Democrats.