Anyway, THe Anchoress blog has some thoughts on this too http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/11/17/defining-the-bush-conservative/#comments
I concur with most all the points. The Fast Ball the President threw on Harriet Miers was way too fast for some minds to grapple with, IMHO. It threw their game off.
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!!
...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.
I didn't bother reading through all this crap.
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!
gonna read the responses after i post.
I pretty much agree, except for the support of public schools. I do not, and strong believe that parents ought to have their choice of the schools their children attend.
Thanks for this post. This comes pretty darn close to summing up my own political philosophy. I'm getting pretty tired of the relentless bashing of Bush (and by extension, me).