Posted on 09/19/2004 10:38:38 AM PDT by TradicalRC
I have not even mentioned the innumerable “conservative” politicos and commentators who cheated on their wives and/or dumped them for younger women: Phil Gramm, Dan Crane, Bob Dole, George Will, Newt Gingrich, Deal Hudson, Rush Limbaugh, and Bob Tyrell, though Tyrell’s swinging has not prevented him from commenting on the problems caused by divorce. The King of Swing may have been the former president of Hillsdale College, but the less said about him the better. What is repulsive about conservatives is not so much their peccadilloes—errare est humanum—as their smarmy pretense to be the vanguard of a moral revolution.
The tragic failure of American conservatism stems, in part, from the preference for words over deeds. So long as someone claims to be in favor of truth, justice, and the American Way, conservatives will flock to his speeches and stuff fat checks into his jockey shorts.
(Excerpt) Read more at chroniclesmagazine.org ...
Mr. Fleming appears to be doing for the neocons what Paul Johnson did for leftist icons in his book Intellectuals.
Fleming and Buchanan are so far right that they've become part of the left.
If you keep turning right, eventually you go left.
Cool. I love argumentum ad absurdum.
And which this would that be? The current neocon domination of the Republican party? The paleocon voice in the wilderness? Free speech on Free Republic? This particular thread? My presence on FR?
I know. You read Fleming.
Ah, the nuanced mind of a neocon. One might well say that Victor Hugo reads like Danielle Steele or that George Orwell reads like Al Franken. Fleming's work is Rich with Western culture, whether it is Greek tragedy or Samuel Johnson. For you to make a comparison as a writer is laughable.
Admittedly he was more splenetic than usual in this article, however, as a conservative I thought character mattered. At least I like to think so.
Yes. And you also believe that some Catholics have become SO traditional that they're Protestants. Okay.
You paleos are about Israel, Israel, Israel, and everybody knows what that means.
Not wanting to spend my money on "foriegn aid" regardless of the recipient does not make anyone an anti-Semite. The insinuation surprises me, though, as you are very big on not reading people's souls.
When Clinton did this, character mattered. Now when its your guys character, it doesn't mean a thing. Sounds like a good definition of hypocrisy to me.
But this is so NOT true of George W. Bush. People like him because he's a family man. He was wild in the past but has completely reformed and makes no excuses for his old ways. People like him because he has integrity and they believe him. He's not an oily slickster. As Zell Miller said, he's the same man on Saturday night that he is on Sunday morning.
Maybe "true" conservatives don't have this obsession that people need to be perfect.
Very true. With W character is not really an issue. Growing a bloated government is. Ten years ago Republicans were talking about abolishing the NEA, Now W has given them a bigger place at the government trough. Since when do conservatives advocate more government?
No they are not president, but as the article states Elliot Abrams who is no longer ALLOWED to testify on Capitol Hill has found a home with the current administration. As for lying, I'll wait until the fallout from this administration settles down to judge that one.
It must be wonderful for you, and your Paleo pals, to have perfect unsullied personal life, free of sin (albeit perhaps boring).
No one is looking for perfection, but simple decency should not be so hard to achieve for so-called conservatives who are generally claiming the moral high ground. Face it, Americans HATE hypocrisy and with "conservatives" like these, who needs liberals?
As for a virtuous life being "boring", that speaks volumes about you.
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