Bush’s triumph conceals the great conservative crack-up

Times on Line (England) ^ | 3/19/05 | Andrew Sullivan

[Mobile Vulgus]

It should be the best of times for American conservatism. Republican majorities in the House and Senate, a re-elected Republican president, an increasing number of Republican governors and a rightwards tilt in the judiciary. While the British Tories and German Christian Democrats flounder, America’s right seems to flourish.

Well, that’s the cover story. Beneath the surface, however, American conservatism is in increasing trouble. The Republican coalition, always fragile, now depends as much on the haplessness of the Democrats as on its own internal logic. On foreign and domestic policy alike the American right is splintering. With no obvious successor to George W Bush that splintering will deepen....

[Zeppelin]

***If the Democrats ever figure out that they should be Pro America they could take some seats.***

They've figured out that they should be pro-God, as some of them have conveniently started quoting scripture and been talking about "what God wants." I'm not one to cast stones or past judgement, but I'm definitely not going to give ANY credibility to baby killers.

Hippiecrits.

[AmericanVictory]

The energy legislation will do very little. In no other area is there such a vacuum of leadership in Washington as there is in energy. Frankly, for over 30 years the combination of big energy, big bio (a la ADM) and big auto has placed us ever further into the grips of the oil that funds the Terror by subsidizing problems and avoiding their solutions, just as Ronald Reagan said Washington does, and just as George Gilder pointed out was a serious danger at the time of the Reagan Revolution. Here too, the collusion between bigness on the corporate side and big environmentalism has resulted in a dance that has successfully avoided even looking in the right directions.

[FreeReign]

Old school conservatives — or “realists”, as they call themselves — had no time for nation building or for wars of liberation among cultures they viewed as irredeemably undemocratic. Neoconservatives — many of them former Democrats and liberals — saw spreading liberty as integral to a successful foreign policy.

Old school conservatives, Neoconservatives, what a bunch of hosrsesh*t.

I've been a freedom loving conservative for a long time. I think advocating freedom around the world will make our country safer. Many conservatives who have been conservatives for a long time agree with me.

Only liberals use such queer terms as "nonconservative" and "old school conservative" and think it actually correlates with isolationism.

[SunkenCiv]

On foreign and domestic policy alike the American right is splintering. With no obvious successor to George W Bush that splintering will deepen.

Good heavens. If the Demagogic Party were not shredding, due to the radicalization of its leadership (not to mention 9/11) this claim wouldn't be made. The Pubbies have picked up votes, and will continue to, and those voters used to be either non-voters, or voted Dim.

I realize that Diehard Dims think that the RP is some kind of "homophobic", racist, pro-life, imperialist, capitalist, "right-wing", fundamentalist, boys-only clubhouse, so it must be disorienting for them when something appears to contradict that.

The main thing to realize is, more people are out there (and the numbers grow every day) who will never again trust the Demagogic Party to ru(i)n this country.

[lainie]

All bickering aside, I would like to point out you said we folks will keep following our internet info sources, our talk radio and Fox news sources, and stay in line.

[thoughtomator]

Differences of opinion - to an extent - make a successful and agile party. Besides, anything that depends on Democrat haplessness is on pretty solid ground.

[LoudAmericanCowboy]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this must be their own map.

[spinestein]

["any democracy is preferable to any totalitarian government, no matter what standard you use."]

I should have added "in the long run"

The reason is, benign dictatorships never stay benign, but any nation that has a government genuinely acountable to its citzens will (most often) act in ways that promote peaceful co-existence with its neighbors (in the long run).

[Mobile Vulgus]

>>"All bickering aside, I would like to point out you said we folks will keep following our internet info sources, our talk radio and Fox news sources, and stay in line."

Ha, ha. That DID sound a tad "controlling" of me, didn't it?

I meant vote the Party and keep the Party in office, I didn't necessarily mean a certain "line" of policy.

[LoudAmericanCowboy]

I think this must be their map. Assuming American conservatives don't exist

[lainie]

AIGHT.....

aight for now. I'm watching you boy-o

;)

[spinestein]

[Didnt Bush get same gay vote in 04 he got in 00?]


Bush got a higher percentage of the "gay vote", and the "black vote", as well as other "special interest" votes in 04 than in 00.

I guess it's because everybody knows he's such an intolerant bigot who wants to persecute gays and minorities. /sarcasm

[spinestein]

I can't argue with that, in fact I agree more than would seem from my last posts and I believe, as you do, that short term interests should be of primary importance when talking about security (like nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists).

But don't be too quick to pooh-pooh the long term. :^)

[jpsb]

"That HAS to be reigned in and reversed."

LOL like that will ever happen!

[Portrait of a Lady]

Tim Russert on CNBC right now

...with Andrew Sullivan, Time Magazine

...and E. J. Dione, Georgetown University

[jpsb]

"CUT SPENDING DAMNIT"

It certainly is ironic that it turns out the demorcrats spend less then the republicans. Who'd da hunk it. Boy did fool us big time or what. Bush turns out to be nicer, kinder LBJ.