--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The conservatives won. They turned the…" description: "\"“The conservatives won. They turned the Democrats into a center-right party. They got the entire country singing 'God Bless America,' stress on God, at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/jonathan-franzen-801_ball-game_the-conservatives-won-they-turned-the-de_312189.jpg" --- # The conservatives won. They turned the Democrats into a… ![“The conservatives won. They turned the Democrats into a center-right party. They got the entire country singing 'God Bless America,' stress on God, at every single major-league baseball game. They won on every fucking front, but they especially won culturally, and especially regarding babies. In…” quote by Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/jonathan-franzen-801_ball-game_the-conservatives-won-they-turned-the-de_312189.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/jonathan-franzen-801_ball-game_the-conservatives-won-they-turned-the-de_312189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/jonathan-franzen-801_ball-game_the-conservatives-won-they-turned-the-de_312189.jpg) > ““The conservatives won. They turned the Democrats into a center-right party. They got the entire country singing 'God Bless America,' stress on God, at every single major-league baseball game. They won on every fucking front, but they especially won culturally, and especially regarding babies. In 1970 it was cool to care about the planet's future and not have kids. Now the one thing everyone agrees on, right and left, is that it's beautiful to have a lot of babies. The more the better. Kate Winslet is pregnant, hooray hooray. Some dimwit in Iowa just had octuplets, hooray hooray. The conversation about the idiocy of SUV's stops dead the minute people say they're buying them to protect their precious babies. (221)”” [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that conservative politics have shifted mainstream values toward pro‑baby, pro‑God sentiment, marginalizing earlier environmental concerns. **In simple terms:** Conservatives reshaped culture to favor babies and religion over environmentalism. Key Takeaway Recognize how political narratives reshape societal priorities. Themes culture politics demographics religion environment media Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - public discourse - family planning - environmental activism - media analysis Key Concepts cultural hegemony demographic trends political strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do political narratives influence personal values? - What other forces shape cultural shifts? A Different Perspective The claim may oversimplify complex social changes and ignore other influencing factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Babies Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies-better-2960173/) [Ball game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ball-game/) [Baseball game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-game/) [Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives/) [Conservatives Won](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives-won-2461410/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [God bless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-bless/) [God bless america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-bless-america/) [Lot Babies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot-babies-1083156/) [People say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-say/) ## Related quotes > [Conservatives won't want to hear this, but the Republican who maneuvered his way into the most impressive victory of the election was California Gov.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-barnes/conservatives-won-t-want-to-hear-this-but-the-republican-who/) [Fred Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-barnes/) > [In 2010, conservatives won big majorities in the Wisconsin State Legislature, and I openly supported many of their reforms, including changes to collective bargaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sykes/in-2010-conservatives-won-big-majorities-in-the-wisconsin-state/) [Charlie Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sykes/) > [I didn't grow up with a lot of babies in my life because I only grew up with my parents - I didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-strahovski/i-didn-t-grow-up-with-a-lot-of-babies-in-my-life-because-i-only-grew/) [Yvonne Strahovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-strahovski/) > [When I got the red card all the Chelsea players come around. It felt like I had a lot of babies around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/when-i-got-the-red-card-all-the-chelsea-players-come-around-it-felt/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [“Go to college. Have a lot of babies. Break a lot of hearts. And realize every minute of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-selzer/go-to-college-have-a-lot-of-babies-break-a-lot-of-hearts-and-realize/) [Adam Selzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-selzer/) > [You saw him standing out there, and you knew you had a pretty damn good chance to win the baseball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-ruffing/you-saw-him-standing-out-there-and-you-knew-you-had-a-pretty-damn/) [Red Ruffing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-ruffing/) > [Life is like a baseball game, you will never what will happen unless you swing the bat and take the risk of striking out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-baseball-game-you-will-never-what-will-happen-unless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the players don't produce, and aren't in the position to be evaluated correctly, then a manager's job of winning or losing baseball games…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smoltz/if-the-players-don-t-produce-and-aren-t-in-the-position-to-be/) [John Smoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smoltz/) > [When I come to a baseball game, I appreciate the athleticism of these top-tier athletes. When they come to our shows, it's the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-kingston/when-i-come-to-a-baseball-game-i-appreciate-the-athleticism-of-these/) [Kofi Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-kingston/) > [I like to see the difference between good and evil as kind of like the foul line at a baseball game. It's very thin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/i-like-to-see-the-difference-between-good-and-evil-as-kind-of-like/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [Somebody has inquired as to whether I will be going to the opening baseball game. I hope to have that pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/somebody-has-inquired-as-to-whether-i-will-be-going-to-the-opening/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Some coaches believed they could judge a player's performance simply by watching it. In this they were deeply mistaken. The naked eye was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/some-coaches-believed-they-could-judge-a-player-s-performance-simply/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [You know this baseball game of ours comes up from the youth - that means the boys. And after you've been a boy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-this-baseball-game-of-ours-comes-up-from-the-youth-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consider developing your whole self with the same raw focus and intensity that you develop a particular skill set. Get focused. Go out, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/consider-developing-your-whole-self-with-the-same-raw-focus-and/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) ## More by Jonathan Franzen > [“The fundamental fact about all of us is that we’re alive for a while but will die before long. 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I'm saying the bureaucracy has arrogated the right to define certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/i-m-saying-the-structure-and-f-the-entire-culture-is-flawed-chip-said/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [Integrity's a neutral value. Hyenas have integrity, too. They're pure hyena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/integrity-s-a-neutral-value-hyenas-have-integrity-too-they-re-pure/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“An odd thing about beauty, however, is that it's absence tends not to arouse our sympathy as much as other forms of privation do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/an-odd-thing-about-beauty-however-is-that-it-s-absence-tends-not-to/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [He became another data point in the American experiment of self-government, an experiment statistically skewed from the outset, because it wasn't the people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/he-became-another-data-point-in-the-american-experiment-of-self/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“It was this motley band of modest peeps and plovers on the beach who reminded me of the human beings I loved best -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/it-was-this-motley-band-of-modest-peeps-and-plovers-on-the-beach-who/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“Alfred believed that the real and the true were a minority that the world was bent on exterminating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/alfred-believed-that-the-real-and-the-true-were-a-minority-that-the/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“Imagine that human existence is defined by an Ache: the Ache of our not being, each of us, the center of the universe; of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/imagine-that-human-existence-is-defined-by-an-ache-the-ache-of-our/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [The problem was money and the indignities of life without it. Every stroller, cell phone, Yankees cap, and SUV he saw was a torment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/the-problem-was-money-and-the-indignities-of-life-without-it-every/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) [Explore all 345 Jonathan Franzen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) ## More Ball game quotes > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [Sometimes a minute is really the difference between success and failure. There are times when you finish with ten seconds left, and one extra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-symon/sometimes-a-minute-is-really-the-difference-between-success-and/) [Michael Symon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-symon/) > [Consider developing your whole self with the same raw focus and intensity that you develop a particular skill set. Get focused. Go out, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/consider-developing-your-whole-self-with-the-same-raw-focus-and/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [I'm about winning football games and playing hard. That's all I care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-agholor/i-m-about-winning-football-games-and-playing-hard-that-s-all-i-care/) [Nelson Agholor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-agholor/) > [I don't like going to football games. I like watching them on television. When you go to a game, it's hard to focus. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-don-t-like-going-to-football-games-i-like-watching-them-on/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Kids are pretty resilient. You don't have to be at every volleyball game. We can't guilt ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/kids-are-pretty-resilient-you-don-t-have-to-be-at-every-volleyball/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) > [You might be a redneck if... your high school basketball game got rained out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-your-high-school-basketball-game-got-rained/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [My folks, I don't think my mom or my dad ever missed a little league game or a football game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/my-folks-i-don-t-think-my-mom-or-my-dad-ever-missed-a-little-league/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [“That's all I need," I say. "Well...I need the lamp. And the astray. And the remote control. And the paddleball game. 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And after you've been a boy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-this-baseball-game-of-ours-comes-up-from-the-youth-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Trying to manage a project without project management is like trying to play a football game without a game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/trying-to-manage-a-project-without-project-management-is-like-trying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We'll do anything it takes to win a basketball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-lowry/we-ll-do-anything-it-takes-to-win-a-basketball-game/) [Kyle Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-lowry/) > [When I am working it is up early and coffee and 15 hours of being on the set. 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They won on every fucking front, but they especially won culturally, and especially regarding babies. In 1970 it was cool to care about the planet's future and not have kids. Now the one thing everyone agrees on, right and left, is that it's beautiful to have a lot of babies. The more the better. Kate Winslet is pregnant, hooray hooray. Some dimwit in Iowa just had octuplets, hooray hooray. The conversation about the idiocy of SUV's stops dead the minute people say they're buying them to protect their precious babies. 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