...for my latest. If you want on or off this list, let me know.
Sometimes.
most of us assume that if someone is a Republican, they are conservative.
That's true in a lot of cases. Luckily, our county party is conservative, and in fact, one of the major topics lately is RINO hunting. In order to win almost any partisan office here, you have to be a republican, so some D's run as R's.
Historically, their most common belief – the one issue that typically unites them – is a belief in a limited federal government.
...somebody tell Bush(and especially Rove) that.....
The problem occurs when the leaders within the Party stop making conservative values their goal.
When that's the case, it's time for the leaders to be fired.
If Republicans cease to believe in the idea of a limited central government, it becomes easier to justify more regulation and restriction on our market system. When our troops become less of a defense force and more of a peacekeeping force, it becomes easier to justify spreading them out from country to country, which tires and stresses our military.
Unfortunatly, a lot of that is happening with some of the GOP feds.
As the GOP moves closer to the center, there will be a day when conservatives must decide whether the Republican Party is still the party that represents them best; and if they conclude that it is not, they will have to find an alternative.
There is no alternative though. 3rd parties haven't made it big in 150 years.
The only alternative would be the dems, and there's no chance there. The only option availible that is winnable is to use 3rd parties as a protest vote against a McCainiac, and to keep control of the local GOP if it's conservative, and toss the bums which are big government statists.
For the most part, politics isn't about radical change or rollbacks. It's about gradual, considered, incremental change. And conservatives and Republicans can surely cooperate in that process, even if their final goals aren't identical.
From this I conclude that politics isn't always a matter of "us against them," "good against evil" or "black against white." By all means fight for what you believe. But understand that you'll often have to make common cause on some issues with people that you disagree with on others. Realizing that all the good isn't on one side and all the evil on the other gives me more respect for less conservative Republicans than I had earlier. Moderate and Liberal Republicans are very wrong about some things, but not about everything.
It made sense for Barry Goldwater to paint the starkest contrast between himself and Nelson Rockefeller. He was right about the difference, and on the better side of most of their conflicts. It made sense for Ronald Reagan to stress the Cold War issues that separated him from Liberal Republicans, even though the neo-cons who supported him weren't so different from on domestic issues from the less conservative wing of the party. But today, in the age of President Bush's "compassionate conservatism" differences are -- or should be -- more muted. What Mr. Bush is saying now -- more or less what any electable conservative President would say -- is something moderate Republicans can subscribe to. Indeed, much of what he's saying or doing is what they've argued for in the past.
The leaders of any "movement" like liberalism or conservatism sometimes carry it in directions the rank and file don't want to go. At such moments, you may find that you have more in common with people outside the movement. Don't be phased by it. It's a part of life. A party isn't everything. It isn't life or truth or God. But neither is an ideological movement. Parties may be wrong or misguided, but the same is true of philosophies or political movements.
Conflict and division are inseparable from politics, but it's a mistake if tribal affiliations become the purpose of politics and put what's actually done into the background. Bulletin boards and chatrooms emphasize what divides us -- an essential part of politics. It's important not to forget what unites us as Americans.
Can you please translate "Algunos misterios son tan profundos y maravillosos que deben ser explorados para ser entendido"?
Very nice! Excellent!
Now try this:
Conservatives believe government should have a limited fiscal policy. Conservatives believe the economy runs best with minimal government interference. Conservatives believe government regulation of economic liberty stunts economic growth. Finally, Conservatives believe the capitalist system works best when it works as freely as possible.
Best regards,