Last Wednesday, I couldn’t bring myself to go to class. I simply was too depressed. Instead, I spent my afternoon crying as I watched Vanessa Kerry sob on her sister’s shoulder during her father’s concession speech.

Like many Democrats who have been licking their wounds, I rushed to blame this election on a group I already disliked: the radical Christian Right. Members from this faction showed up in record numbers to back Bush, largely because of his stance on the federal gay marriage amendment and his pro-life record.

But I realized I was lying to myself. While I still believe Republican strategists used the timing of the gay marriage state referendums to their advantage, I believe we must give the Republicans credit where it’s due. Let’s be honest, they did an excellent job of mobilizing their entire base.

While we’re at it, though, let’s be honest about something else. Evangelicals could have given President Bush the edge he needed in states like Ohio, where a same-sex marriage amendment was on the ballot. I’m sure many conservatives are thinking about this and saying, “Rock on, it helped us win.” But is this really the best thing for the Republican Party?

Our generation is more open-minded than others when it comes to issues of equality, regardless of party affiliation. The Republican Party needs to realize that many of its future party leaders do not like Bush. They would rather have a president who truly represents their views on social issues as well as on foreign policy and the economy.

I have spoken to or heard stories about a number of Republicans, particularly younger ones, who are conservative on defense or fiscal policy but firmly reject the conservative approach to social issues. I have heard that many members of College Republicans, for instance, are pro-choice. The secretary of College Republicans didn’t even vote for Bush, citing the president’s continued support of the federal gay marriage amendment as his reason.

The 2008 presidential election will give an emerging group of socially accepting Republicans the perfect chance to take their party back. Two candidates at the top of the “likely-to-run” list have a strong conservative record with a more open-minded approach to social issues. Their names are Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

McCain might be socially liberal, but he’s still devoted to the Republican Party. He was willing to support Bush this year, despite the dirty tactics Karl Rove used to end his presidential campaign in 2000. Giuliani, meanwhile, was a popular Republican mayor in an overwhelmingly Democratic city, which indicates he enjoyed strong bipartisan support as a leader.

McCain, refusing to give in to religious conservatives within his party, voted against the federal amendment banning same-sex marriage. Ask Giuliani how he feels about abortion, for example, and he will proudly tell you he is pro-choice

These men best represent our generation of Republicans. They proudly fit the profile of the young conservatives I’ve been hearing so much about.

I know what you’re thinking. The Republicans already have a winning strategy: an unholy alliance of religious radicals and secular conservatives. Why bother nominating a man, like Giuliani or McCain, who might break this coalition apart by angering the Religious Right?

I promise you, what the party loses in votes from religious extremists, it will pick up in powerful support from independents, social liberals and moderates. Each of these groups has a record of supporting Republicans like McCain and Giuliani. In reality, none of these groups are wholly committed to the Democratic Party.

There is a growing number of socially open-minded Republicans in our political system, and the GOP needs to start looking at presidential candidates who can accommodate to this trend. It might be a daunting task, given the finances and manpower of the Religious Right, but it is time for conservatives who believe in separation of church and state to take their party back.

Jon Monteith is a sophomore in LAS. His column runs Tuesdays. He can be reached at [email protected].