I knew that would be the first response, but I don’t see it that way.
Compassionate Conservatives are not “democrat-lite”. Instead we apply conservative principles to lift people up, create wealth, and enhance personal freedom. I’m talking about myself and others, I don’t speak for GWB or know what was in his heart. Nor do I know what this author believes, but there is no dichotomy between having compassion for others and believing strongly in conservatism.
There are good, compassionate people on both sides of the aisle. but WE are the ones who look at government as the CAUSE, not the solution to problems. We are the ones who know that only through personal freedom and the exercise of God-given rights can people truly prosper and enjoy the blessings of liberty.
I have to disagree. As used, the term compassionate conservative IS based on using government for what “they” perceive to be “the good”.
How is that different from all out liberalism? Why do they think their ideas are superior if only “they” were in charge. Again, that’s how the left thinks.
And frankly, I don’t believe there are good, compassionate people on the left. They may delude themselves into thinking that but to me it’s the kind of “compassion” in where they burn down your house to kill the fleas because they felt sorry for your dog.
Leftists thrive on equivocation. If a phrase like "compassionate conservative" can have two meanings, they will use each meaning when it suits them, even in contexts where the other meaning actually applies.
One of the things conservatives need to do is fight for control of the language, and an essential part of that is to refuse to accept labels which have multiple meanings. If a politician is asked whether he's a "compassionate conservative", the correct response would be that he wants to help the poor become financially independent. He should neither admit to being a "compassionate conservative" (implying agreement with policies the left deems "compassionate") nor deny it (implying that he didn't care about the poor).