Buchanan sees 'war' within conservatism

The Washington Times ^ | May 17, 2005 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[sawdust]

Pat Buchanan speaks of American conservatism in the past tense. "The conservative movement has passed into history," says the one-time White House aide, three-time presidential candidate, commentator and magazine publisher. "It doesn't exist anymore as a unifying force," he says in an interview with The Washington Times. "There are still a lot of people who are conservative, but the movement is now broken up, crumbled, dismantled." Mr. Buchanan, a former adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan, says conservatism "is at war with itself over foreign policy, over deficit hawks versus supply-siders." Unnamed phonies, he suggests, have infiltrated the movement. There are "a lot of people who call themselves conservative but who, on many issues, I just don't consider as conservative. They are big-government people."

[Sangria]

Pat, shut up! Don't you ever have anything positive to say?

[Dallas59]

What happened in 2004?

[Balding_Eagle]

"a lot of people who call themselves conservative but who, on many issues, I just don't consider as conservative. They are big-government people."

I can't disagree with that statement. A lot of them post here at FR too.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

BUCHANAN BUMP!

[wideawake]

Translation: "If I'm not in charge of the movement, I'll just pretend it doesn't exist."

Conservatism is a powerful influence in this country. it's Buchananism that's a spent force.

Spending all your time complaining about Wal-Mart and Israel just isn't a satisfying agenda for most people.

[DannyTN]

"There are "a lot of people who call themselves conservative but who, on many issues, I just don't consider as conservative." - Pat

Right back at you Pat

[Protagoras]

Unnamed phonies, he suggests, have infiltrated the movement. There are "a lot of people who call themselves conservative but who, on many issues, I just don't consider as conservative. They are big-government people."

For the first time in memory, I agree with this guy.

[finnman69]

I have to admit he's partially correct regarding spending and immigration.

He's wrong in declaring cleaning out the cockroaches in Iraq and Afghanistan is "Wilsonian". A better comparison would be Teddy Roosevelt's "Big Stick" policy w/ a smattering of Reaganism.

I also find his singling out of Giuliani and Schwarzenegger from the 2004 RNC unfair.

[rdb3]

Spending all your time complaining about Wal-Mart and Israel just isn't a satisfying agenda for most people.

But it's satisfying for a few. Thank goodness that they are more noisy than they are numerous.

[samtheman]

Much of what he says here is true.

[wideawake]

They are big-government people

Oh, you mean people who support an elaborate system of tariffs and rampant unionism aren't conservative? Thanks for admitting it, Pat.

[jveritas]

How about Idiot and Bitter Loser BUMP.

[MBB1984]

Pat is right in that there is more division in the Conservative movement than ever before. Self described Conservatives argue over immigration, the Iraq war, American Foreign Policy, budget deficits and even over social issues.

Of course there is the valid question: Who are the true conservatives?

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

As usual, Buchanan has a molecule of a germ of a valid point, but then he carries it all the way to Loonieville as is his habit.

How would he explain FR? Fox News? Talk radio? The movement is mainstream. Washington, as ever, is simply spinning on its own little axis, disdainful of realities and content to vote in ways that benefit itself. What's history is the notion of a republic of sovereign states.

And what seems to be history in many (but not all) regions is the quaint practice of voting. The silent majority is turned off by milquetoast go-along-to-get-along faux conservatives and simply doesn't bother to go to the polls. Nowhere is this more evident than here in California, where a Reagan could easily sweep the state again but, alas, we're fresh out of Reagans.

[.cnI redruM]

Pat sees himself as being unimportant. Therefore, Pat has to be a pain in someone else's rear until he gets attention and a pat on the head for being such a 'real' conservative. Pat is almost as rational as the idiots who think Howard Dean is funny when he imitates Rush Limbaugh snorting coke, but not quite....

[KC_Conspirator]

This has been going on since 92'. I would say that this is nothing new and both sides at least understand each other. Its not like the democrat part where one side hates America and the other does not.

[InvisibleChurch]

i wonder when pat will start submitting to the huffington post?

[Vaquero]

Pat, shut up! Don't you ever have anything positive to say? I am not a big Buchanan supporter. in 2000 I voted for him in the NY Primaries as a protest vote against what I thought was a centrist Bush. In recent years he has made statements I dont agree with. BUT....He is pretty close to being right on the mark on this one and after 9/11, we should have gone to a WARTIME mode and LOCKED our borders.....Pats right on many things and Bush is cowtowing to too many imagined supporters in the Hispanic community in leaving our borders leaking illegals and the whole party and conservative movement will eventually pay big time for this unless he shores it up NOW!