The Bush Conservatives

The Bush Conservatives It seems I and many other conservatives need to just step back and re-assess the political landscape. As I mentioned in the post below on immigration, I do not see the Republican Party offering a very palatable form of conservatism any more. So let me describe what I think is an attractive conservative vision. It begins with supporting and respecting our President and all his accomplishments. And since I and many others still have unflinching support and admiration for the man, I decided to steal some from the commenters here and dub this conservative view “Bush Conservatives”.

Bush Conservatives not only believe in Reagan’s 11th commandment to not speak ill of fellow conservatives - we live it. From the Gang of 14, to Harriet Miers, to Dubai Ports World and to the immigration issue - there has been a brand of Republican which eschewed the 11th commandment. So let the Republicans be defined by that group - Bush Conservatives will be defined by their antithesis. Bush conservatives are not afraid of the word ‘compromise’. They despise the word ‘failure’. If there is a good idea, we do not care what party gets credit - we care that the good ideas get enacted. It is not Party uber America anymore.

Bush Conservatives, like Bush himself, are for lower taxes and focused government (someplace between liberals and libertarians is the proper role of government). They are not for destroying the public education system, they are for making it work. And they understand private school access is one option. They understand that a prescription drug benefit for Medicare/Medicaid will reduce overall costs and provide a respectable end of life for our seniors who came before us. Yes, it costs a lot to care for our elderly. But it doesn’t represent big government. It represents a big heart. I am not for throwing money away. The prescription drug benefit was a nice optimizing solution to a broken system. It was consumer driven (which is why the liberals should not be allowed to go in and insert bureacratic price controls) and it will save money that was being wasted in emergency room treatments for normal problems.

Bush Conservatives respect the immigrant worker in the sense we understand people need to make a life (not just a living). We do not want the broken current system to stay hostage to the “Fence Only” crowd. The illegal immigrant worker will pay a penalty in back taxes and lost time towards citizenship. That level of penalty is sufficient for the crime of missing paperwork. We respect those who are trying to do nothing more than raise a family. The Republicans can now have the mantle of harshness towards otherwise good people. They can focus on their vision of the few bad apples representing the entire immigrant population. They can ignore the more realistic, broader images that include aliens fighting for our country - the other immigrant worker. The only people who get my support will embrace Bush’s comprehensive vision of workers who are registered, background checked, working in the open economy, and who must avoid criminal activities if they stay here. They will not become citizens immediately, and in fact will not be able to apply any time here as illegal aliens towards citizenship. They will become our neighbors working by our side, raising their children with ours. And like the good neighbors we are, we will reach out and help them assimiliate to our society. The Reps can be the party of rounding up aliens for deportation. They are apparently clinging to that image with a death grip anyway.

Bush Conservatives do not see failure in Iraq, they see the long hard, generational fight we were warned was coming. Bush conservatives will not ally with liberals to find an exit and let the terrorists follow our troops home. Bush Conservatives do not blame Bush for Al Qaeda’s tenacity. We salute Bush for his tenacity.

Bush conservatives see success in the Gang of 14, who paved the way for some of the largest shifts to the federal bench in a generation. And we would welcome a repeat of the Gang of 14 in the upcoming senate to quelsh the partisan bickering between Reps and Dems. Go for it Gang - with my blessing. If they can keep the results going like they did in the last Congress, true conservatism will be able to flow into our court systems - as opposed to imposing Republican versions of the Liberal activism in the courts now.

Bush Conservatives are not necessarily Republicans - though obviously they are welcomed. Bush Conservatism is the broad-tent conservative movement that can include a McCain, DeWine, Snowe, etc. The only litmus test for Bush Conservatives is there is no litmus tests. There are no ‘real’ conservatives or ‘pure’ conservatives. Republicans can have their purity tests. Bush Conservatives will strive for enhancing the conservative vision and making progress towards those ends.

So how can Republicans (or Democrats) attract Bush Conservatives? Show respect to the President. Don’t blame Bush for your problems or mistakes. Allow processes to unfold without vitriol and panic. Admit the errors made on Miers (she should have been heard, then rejected), Dubai Ports World (not all Muslim Arabs are our enemies, especially ones willing to fund our outer defenses), and immigration (support the guest worker program for all the immigrants now here in this country). Failure to admit the mistakes means failure to correct the mistakes. These minimum changes could woo the Bush Conservatives back into the Republican tent - but there as to be unmistakable shift on these matters. No sliding around these examples of what we do not want to see more of. In many of these cases Dems and Reps both have some atoning to do.

Stop blaming the Gang of 14 and support the results they gave us on all those new judges and justices we are blessed to have. Look positively on efforts that are bi-partisan and are rolling back liberalism’s last vestiges: the liberal courts.

Don’t surrender on Iraq. Don’t pull a Kerry. We went into Iraq and made commitments. Honor those commitments and strive for nothing short of success. We do not follow people who go back on their word. Reps and Dems can tolerate that - Bush Conservatives never will.

Be positive, show respect, and use decorum. And this is not a Chinese menu. We are not looking for ideaological purity. But we are looking for a common vision, a common goal, something we can work together towards. We can debate the details of how to achieve these, but there is no doubt we need to do these things.

Here is the alternative: Reps and Dems can be against fixing immigration. Reps and Dems can be for bashing Bush. Reps and Dems can run from Iraq even though they supported the effort going in. The parties can continue to go their partisan ways. If they do, then I hope a moderate new party can arise from the ashes these scorched earth partisan efforts have been producing. We are at war, and these partisan are fighting us, not our enemies. America’s patience with these two squabbling camps will run out.

Addendum: I forgot one important subject - Embryonic Stem Cell Research (ESCR). Bush opposes the killing of human beings, as do Bush Conservatives. This is why Bush Conservatives are not soft on life issues. Arlen Specter would not be a Bush Conservative. ESCR is snake oil compared to the Adult Stem Cell Research (ASCR) results which keep poring in. Even one of Michael J Fox’s top scientists who studies the full range of stem cell options has leaned towards faster, better cures coming from ASCR than ESCR. Bush is very pro-life. From his Stem Cell stance to parental notification to partial birth abortion, he has successfully moved the country towards the pro life side in a massive way. That is why Reps who bash Bush are just not being true to conservatism, they are only being true to their pet issues at the expense of conservatism. How many ways did Reps hurt the conservative cause? They stayted home. They turned on Bush when they did not get one thing their way. They never refused to acknowledge all Bush did, only what Bush did not do for them, they refused compromise, they refused progress, they refused to participate, they refused to be civil. Now all Bush did accompolish is at risk while the losers keep blaming him because they turned on him. The Reps have a lot to learn. Too much, in my opinion, to be ready for 2008.

Addendum II: I must also point out why Bush bashing without any thought is really, really bad. I am now of the opinion that the Democrat wave was much, much higher than what we ended up with. There could have easily been more House seats lost and one more Senate seat gone. I can easily see Bush’s last minute push taking some of the force out of the political tsunami that hit, along with Kerry’s last minute gaffe. We did see a turn to the reps in the last weekend’s polls. If I am right, and people were returning to Bush in some small way, the Bush bashing/blame we see now is really destructive. It is pushing those who DID turn back to the reps off and making them doubt, if not regret, there last minute change of heart to the right. Reps will react like this, without thinking. Bush Conservatives are much less volatile.

Addendum III: I would like to also add zero tolerance for pork barrel spending and ear-marks. The runaway spending was not pushed by Bush, it was done by Congress. They demanded a price to support Bush’s goals and inflated the budget with useless bridges, etc. There was no way Bush would have vetoed SLIMMED DOWN budgets. That one is all at the feet of the Reps in Congress. Ed Morrissey does this subject great justice today.

Addendum IV: Reader Luker noted these fine additions to the list: - habeas corpus reserved to US citizens and not granted to the foreigners, especially the terrorists and the GITMO detainees. - Balance between civil liberties and security of our own country and its assets, namely the preservation of the NSA foreign terrorist surveillance program. - Tax reform, especially the abolishment of the death tax. - Social Security reform.

Note that the last two REQUIRE compromise so we can attract democrat support. The first two will be salvaged by folks like Lieberman (and hopefully Harman) putting national security above partisanship. We will now be indebted any democrat who helps save these items.

Good post. I suppose I am in this camp. I hope people see the main point of this article. That is its nots associated with a man or a specific viewpoint. Even though in the end I feel most "Bush Conservatives" are pretty conservative. Its not so much about even immigration, Dubai, or judges. Its about the process of governing I suppose.

Anyway, THe Anchoress blog has some thoughts on this too http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/11/17/defining-the-bush-conservative/#comments

Yeah, I guess the I am getting tired of all the bickering. It just seems that so many factions(that are all legitimate parts of Replucians and conservatives) are going at each other too much. I am convinced each of them in their minds thinks they are the true base. It seems we were fighting each other way too long and forgot we had a generl elections

Hopefully we realize next election that after the primaries we come together

And hopefully we can recognize "sleeper operations" under our very noses.

One more thing -- Phil Graham's sound counsel regarding "sitting in the wagon" and those who work to "pull the wagon". Certainly this was in reference to economics and micro-econ; but it also applies in the personal -- those who looked for the Republican party to "rescue" them from problems. Demanded it. Me, me, and mine. And when Repubs made clear they were being thoroughly abused through filibusters and the MSM slanted reporting -- plenty of "faux conservatives" went on the attack of the Republicans -- "Failures, they've failed me personally, WAAAH!"; "I wanted Superman, and all you gave me was a mere mortal!" WAAAH!"

Yes, and with you I agree, this election cycle was most instructive, and I do believe, productive.

McPainintheass is that you? This is such B.S. I don't know where to start!! First of all, these precious RINO prix GO14 are nothing but moderate game playing, middle of the road, squishy, status quo, good ole boy, SFB agitators! There's NOTHING the GO14 did to get conservatives on the court. Instead we didn't go do what should have been done, nuke the living crap out the dems!!

Conservatives have a base, and if Repubs do not want to fight for the base then they can go pissoff!! I'm so sick and tired of hearing nothing but shinola from supposed conservative repubs only to find out when they get to congress they won't stand steadfast and fight, or they get star-struck by the DBM. Bush is nothing more than a moderate, big spending, illegal immigration politico, who only understands moderation as a means to an end. Even in the WOT he can't charge in for the kill.

Newt Gingrinch came up with the "Contract With America" Almost everyone of those issue are now out the window for repubs because repubs let them die. Well fine repubs if you won't stand up for conservatives principles we won't hire you anymore to represent us, because politically you want to "get along" with B.S. policies!!

The article is ripe with moderated whimpness thats ideas will never solve anything. Show us something REAL! "Bush Conservatism," NO THANK YOU!!

And you want FreeRepublic to be considered a part of the new media, and you wanna bash conservatives and Republicans publically, but call this "censorship" of opinion?

Gee, do you discuss your wife's habit of burping in front of her, or behind her back?

You might consider joining your local conservative and/or Republican party, voicing your criticisms THERE, where the ideas might be more properly, purposefully, and constructively considered.

TROLL!

...just kidding. I thought this was a thoughtful piece, and valid on many points. I believe that the old Reagan coalition has come unglued, with disparate wings of conservativism at each others' throats. Conservatism has become increasingly negative, and has become identified with what it is AGAINST rather than what it is for. Reagan's inherent positive message is now missing from much of conservatism, and I don't think we can assert a conservative majority in America until we have a renewed vision and message, and a new messenger who embodies that vision and message.

THe Gang of 14 was not on the average persons mind in the election booth. I mean did the average COnservative have that as a big issue. Thats so inside baseball no one cared.

I think people that are involved in politcs need to learn something. THe average American views politcs at noise. They dont want to really be bothered with it. THey ahave a couple of issues and besides that they want the trains to run on time.

IN the end Conservatives got on the COurt. It seemed to work quite well for getting Altio and Roberts on the COurt. Took the wind out of the Dems sails. IN the end the result mattered not having a fight with the Dems. In the end people dont want that.

That being said there is nothing moderate about this. Its about conservatives recognizing we are a party of business, social conservative, limited Govt folks, fiscial hawks, Religious oriented voters, and Libertarians. We all need each other to win. Thats what this is about.

And you want FreeRepublic to be considered a part of the new media, and you wanna bash conservatives and Republicans publically, but call this "censorship" of opinion?

What are you talking about? I don't want to censor anyone's opinion, but I sure as anything will point out how WRONG moderates thinking can be...Stop being scared of "OPINIONS" and fighting for what you believe, America is all about the idea of being able to voice opinions. If you ask me "getting along" just to get along is nothing more than pure B.S. and deserves to be treated as such! I'm not standing up anymore for moderate prix who care nothing about conservatism and good ideals just to give them up "To get along"

Let the purge begin, there's not been a better time!

IN the end Conservatives got on the COurt. It seemed to work quite well for getting Altio and Roberts on the COurt. Took the wind out of the Dems sails. IN the end the result mattered not having a fight with the Dems. In the end people dont want that.

This is total crap! People DO want to fight if it's about the right thing, if it's about winning and driving conservatism. If you don't understand what is really going on here, you're just fooling yourself. We haven't won anything. We have lost our way on the conservative march and we should be way ahead on this road.

Ok, we got Alito and Roberts, and we got our asses kicked before we could fully take control, now what are we going to do, we haven't reached the goal? We can't do anything now that's because moderates don't stand steadfast in conservatism, or anything else for that matter, and they've lost it for us because they don't fight for anything!!

"By your first few definitions, I am certainly NOT a "Bush conservative."

Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya!"

See I think that the point. We seem lately to be focused on telling people to leave and get out. There have been whole discussions telling Libertarians to get out. Big Business and other concerns get the hell out. Etc Etc.

I ma not sure why we can't all listen to each other and come to a consensus and Republicans and conservatives. Then take the fight to the libs. It seems to have worked before.

I guess that's one of the prices we paid for being in the majority -- the "luxury" of sniping at ourselves. I guess nothing breeds contempt more than success. Sad.

And perhaps the biggest pet peeve of mine are the "Fence First" (code for "Fence Only") conservatives, who project an attitude that they just don't want brown people in their neighborhoods. I'm fine with enforcing our immigration laws, but to say "Secure the Border," and oppose any kind of guest worker program, path to citizenship, and assimilation of immigrants here, ensures we'll never secure a sufficient number of hispanic voters to return to the majority. GOP prospects in AZ, NV, CO, and NM are slipping, but dang! -- we can always be proud that we stood for enforcing the immigration laws, as we sit in a perpetual political minority.

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