Posted on 01/13/2004 1:38:02 PM PST by quidnunc
You hear it in the coffee shops all over the "red areas" of the map. Everyone knows that is where the real politics is discussed in America. Conservatives are asking themselves, "What was the President thinking?" They might be talking about No Child Left Behind, or steel tariffs or the signing of many less than conservative bills.
In the coffee shops in the "blue areas," liberals don't sit around much. They are too angry and busy to stop for a while but many are thinking that President Bush is the most conservative president in years, since "oh, my God, Reagan," and he must be stopped.
Both of these assessments cannot be true and after spending years looking at politics, I took my first serious stand on a candidate in 1968 at the tender age of 9, if both sides are mad at you, you are probably on the right track. So why should conservatives and moderates support the President, now on issues and later this year at the ballot box?
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Based on the history of this President, we better not count him out till we see how things unfold. He is what conservatives asked for in a President. He cut taxes, got our economy going again and lives and breathes the safety of this country and the people in it. When it is all said and done, George W. Bush does what he believes is right for the American people and he is willing to stand on his record in November.
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(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
If by "fools" you mean the Republicrat party, you may in fact be correct.
You got my vote! I don't live in Pinal but I'll just toss on a sombrero, brush up on my spanish, and make a special trip down there to vote for you.
Rehnquist seems to have avoided the mental degredation of age. I sure hope we can count on Thomas to age well.
If there is a distinction, it's not a dime's worth. You think it's just us here on FR? Check with both Cal Thomas and Joe Sobran - they have both said the same thing. Personally, I think it's a given that the Congress will be Republicrat so I hope that anyone but Bush gets elected because then at least we will have gridlock rather than the Bush socialist agenda. The country can afford to hold out for 4 years until someone with a real vision can run for prez.
All the name calling aside, I'm concerned by the posting views of FReepers here often. Their definition of "Conservatives" seems more like those of Libertarian, which used to mean "Liberal" in thought and action. I don't want big government, nor intrusive government control in my life either, I think I pay more than enough taxes. But I don't support "Free Will" do it if it feels good without regard to "Tradition". I'm not a "neo-con" or a "RINO" nor a "pubbie". I am in the traditional sense a conservative, patriotic American. I'm not hyphenated, and vote to support the best candidate that has the best chance of winning to try to stave off the socialist form of life we would have under most any DemoRat Candidate.
Maybe it is time to review the dictionary definitions of Conservative and Liberal to see where people really fit. Not voting for GWB is a choice, we all have them. Common Sense is something that many don't seem to have anymore. Until America can find a 3rd party candidate that is viable (read electable). All this "I'm not giving my vote to the republicans" is wasted air.
Definitions follow, from Merriam Webster online. So it is time for self examination. If the shoe fits.... might find you are in the wrong forumn.
Main Entry: 1con·ser·va·tive Pronunciation: k&n-'s&r-v&-tiv Function: adjective Date: 14th century 1 : PRESERVATIVE 2 a : of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism b capitalized : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism : as (1) : of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions (2) : PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE 3 a : tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL b : marked by moderation or caution c : marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners 4 : of or relating to Conservative Judaism
Main Entry: con·ser·va·tism Pronunciation: k&n-'s&r-v&-"ti-z&m Function: noun Date: 1835 1 capitalized a : the principles and policies of a Conservative party b : the Conservative party 2 a : disposition in politics to preserve what is established b : a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change 3 : the tendency to prefer an existing or traditional situation to change
Main Entry: 2conservative Function: noun Date: 1831 1 a : an adherent or advocate of political conservatism b capitalized : a member or supporter of a conservative political party 2 a : one who adheres to traditional methods or views b : a cautious or discreet person Tradition 1 : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) 2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction 3 : cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions 4 : characteristic manner, method, or style
Main Entry: lib·er·tar·i·an Pronunciation: "li-b&r-'ter-E-&n Function: noun Date: 1789 1 : an advocate of the doctrine of free will 2 a : a person who upholds the principles of absolute and unrestricted liberty especially of thought and action b capitalized : a member of a political party advocating libertarian principles
Main Entry: civil liberty Function: noun Date: 1644 : freedom from arbitrary governmental interference (as with the right of free speech) specifically by denial of governmental power and in the U.S. especially as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights -- usually used in plural - civil libertarian noun or adjective
Main Entry: lib·er·ty Pronunciation: 'li-b&r-tE Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural -ties Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French liberté, from Latin libertat-, libertas, from liber free -- more at LIBERAL Date: 14th century 1 : the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases b : freedom from physical restraint c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e : the power of choice 2 a : a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant : PRIVILEGE b : permission especially to go freely within specified limits 3 : an action going beyond normal limits: as a : a breach of etiquette or propriety : FAMILIARITY b : RISK, CHANCE c : a violation of rules or a deviation from standard practice d : a distortion of fact 4 : a short authorized absence from naval duty usually for less than 48 hours
Main Entry: 1lib·er·al Pronunciation: 'li-b(&-)r&l Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English lEodan to grow, Greek eleutheros free Date: 14th century 1 a : of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts b archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth 2 a : marked by generosity : OPENHANDED b : given or provided in a generous and openhanded way c : AMPLE, FULL 3 obsolete : lacking moral restraint : LICENTIOUS 4 : not literal or strict : LOOSE 5 : BROAD-MINDED; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms 6 a : of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism b capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
Main Entry: li·cen·tious Pronunciation: lI-'sen(t)-sh&s Function: adjective Etymology: Latin licentiosus, from licentia Date: 1535 1 :
Main Entry: lib·er·al·ism Pronunciation: 'li-b(&-)r&-"li-z&m Function: noun Date: 1819 1 : the quality or state of being liberal 2 a often capitalized : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity b : a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard c : a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties d capitalized : the principles and policies of a Liberal party
Noted. And now you take note: This makes you my political enemy.
No, the country can't afford to have a Democrat selecting the next 5 Supreme Court Justices (who will be retiring in the next 5 years).
And for distinctions: Bush has banned Partial Birth Abortion, something that no Democrat President has ever tried to do, much less actually do.
Bush is building our national missile defenses, something that Al Gore was against, as if defending the U.S. from rogue nuclear missile attacks was somehow a *bad* idea.
I didn't see Clinton or Gore cutting income taxes, but Bush cut federal income taxes so much that a family of four earning $40,000 per year now pays slightly less than $4 (yes, four) Dollars per month in federal income taxes (for a Tax Independence Day of January 1).
Democrats weren't exactly lining up to follow U.S. law (i.e. the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act) to effect regime change in the Middle East, either, but Bush did.
So it's rather dishonest, intellectually, to try to claim that there is no difference between Republicans and Democrats. The above issues alone highlight polar opposite positions on the political color spectrum.
Moreover, the whole "libertarian" viewpoint is impractical. Libertarians don't have the money or the popular support to be anything other than a useful tool for Democrats to use to siphon gullible votes away from Republicans, which is precisely why the largest donors to the Libertarian Party here in Alabama are Democratic Party Trial Lawyers. Voters break 5 to 3 Repub to Dem for going Libertarian, thus it is an easy way for the Dems here in Alabama to shift more than a full percent of the Republican vote edge by simply giving a few measly thousands to the Libertarian Party here.
But on top of being tools for the Democratic Party, Libertarians have nonsensical beliefs such as fully Open Borders to immigration and a ban on using our military first, not to forget that Libertarians don't even want a standing Army, Navy, Air Force, National Missile Defense, or Marines, only a volunteer civilian militia...hardly the stuff required for pre-emptively smashing rogue regimes like North Korea or Iran, should they get sufficiently out of line.
Worse, you libertarians like to argue too much. Good Lord you can talk until you are all out of breath (which is to say, for far too long).
And then there is the ingrained Libertarian opposition to taking political baby steps (the stuff of real change). You all want your Revolution "now," and anything less is unConstitutional and unsatisfactory. Forget privatizing Social Security, you all scream, you want to disband it immediately (a political non-starter). Ditto for privatizing Medicare.
And you want your Instant Revolution because none of you have had enough actual elected political experience to yet learn firsthand that such instant gratification is intellectual cannon fodder rather than the sort of thing that actually gets debated and enacted.
Thus, there are hardly any worse enemies to Conservatism and to our great free republic than you misguided, inexperienced Libertarians, for you attempt to trick us with your grand ideas and psuedo-conservative rhetoric at times, yet your every action saps our strength and reduces our ability to enact the real changes required to take back this great nation from the hard core Leftists of academia, the news media, and various entrenched political forces.
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