The coming conservative collapse

World Net Daily ^ | September 19, 2005 | Vox Day

[Mikey]

The turn of the century was supposed to be the triumph of the conservatives. From the dark era of the Democrat-dominated '60s and '70s, conservatives began their protracted march toward electoral power, culminating finally in the long-awaited capture of all three branches of the federal government. The Reagan Revolution was finally to be realized in earnest!

But just as most Republican Supreme Court nominees have turned out to be treacherous supporters of big government – activist liberals in disguise – their legislative- and executive-branch colleagues likewise revealed themselves to be every bit as unfaithful to conservative principles of small government and individual freedom. As is all too often the case, conservative success carried within it the seeds of its own demise.

President Bush's recent speech on his administration's planned long-term response to Hurricane Katrina marked an interesting point in the continued devolution of American conservatism. Whereas his first five years had previously been a strange combination of strategic Wilsonian foreign policy and tactical Keynesian domestic policy, the president managed to make it abundantly clear that in domestic terms, his presidential guiding light is Lyndon Baines Johnson, not Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Real conservatives now understand they have been betrayed – badly – by this fraudulent man. Compassionate conservatism, as it turns out, is simply another name for Great Society liberalism, and not even the Texas swagger is original. Genuinely conservative Republicans are dismayed by the president's unveiling of his core liberalism and rightly fear for the future of a party which has likely seen its high-water mark already.

But nothing dissuades the Three Monkeys from screeching and howling their enthusiasm for their Dear Leader's every action. They have redefined conservatism to be the actions of one known as a conservative, so the individual is no longer defined by his ideology, the ideology is defined by the individual.

Consider radio host and former WND columnist Hugh Hewitt's take on the president's speech:

Perfect pitch returned tonight, and the president's looks backward and forward were on target. As Chris Matthews observed, it sounded a little LBJ-FDR-like in its vows about the underclass of the recovery region, but that is exactly why it worked so well.

My acquaintances at the nation's leading "conservative" blog, Powerline, agreed:

The president was at his best tonight. Hugh Hewitt's take is on the money. And speaking of money, it's going to be pouring into the Gulf region to the tune of at least $200 billion, I imagine. You can call it FDR-LBJ liberalism, big-government conservatism, or compassionate conservatism. I call it American-style pragmatism.

Unfortunately, celebrating the realization of that which one opposes is the predictable end result of pragmatism, which is nothing more than a euphemism for the slow sacrifice of one's principles. Longtime readers may recall that I wrote the following in 2003:

The Bush administration is demonstrating this truth in real-time, as its compassionate big-government neo-conservatism expands the federal leviathan at a pace faster than anyone since FDR. Would President Gore have been worse? Perhaps – but then there would be an opportunity to elect a man who actually opposed the rising tide of government in 2004 instead of surfing it like a cattle rancher gone beach-boy stoner.

As I feared, that tide has continued to rise under the aegis of a Republican House, Senate, presidency and Supreme Court. So, are there truly no conservatives left in the Republican Party today? Or is the determination to see, hear and speak no evil about the present gang of Republican charlatans in office based on a fear of giving aid and comfort to Hillary Clinton in 2008?

In either case, it is apparent that mainstream politics in America has been reduced to a Seinfeldian sport wherein voters are simply rooting for laundry.

Since the Republican Party has dedicated itself to racing its Democratic rivals in offering more bread and circuses to the underprivileged masses, there is no longer any reason for conservatives to support it. Disenchanted and dismayed Republicans will do well to remember these pragmatic betrayals of conservative principle when The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime rolls around again three years from now.

___________________

Vox Day is a novelist and Christian libertarian. He is a member of the SFWA, Mensa and the Southern Baptist church, and has been down with Madden since 1992. Visit his Web log, Vox Popoli, for daily commentary and responses to reader email.

[longtermmemmory]

the only way ANY third part becomes viable is when the democrat party disapears.

Until then the constitution party means nothing.
It is irrelevant electorially.

You should strive for making the debate between the republican party and your little party. As long as the democrat party exists voting constitution only helps the left.

[RockinRight]

Not completely, but-

Think of what Gore or Kerry would have done with:

Tax cuts
War on Terror and 9/11 response
SCOTUS nomination

[XJarhead]

Vox Day lost me at:

But nothing dissuades the Three Monkeys from screeching and howling their enthusiasm for their Dear Leader's....

That "Dear Leader" schtick is the same worthless ad hominem attack we see from the mouth-breathers at DU.

[SengirV]

Spending like a drunken Sailor is what is the root of almost ALL the problems for the GOP. If they go back to their fiscal conservative roots, then MAYBE they can stem the tide. Until they do that, they are simply looking like a party who tries to force it morals on others and spend BIG(to those middle of the road types, not the extremes - obviously).

[wideawake]

I distrust anyone who is so insecure about their intellect that they have to join Mensa in order to reassure themselves.

[RockinRight]

Fiscal conservatives? There's a few. Coburn is one great example as you cited. Also:

Mike Pence
Jim DeMint shows promise
James Inhofe
SC Gov. Mark Sanford

[calex59]

Are you getting what you want now?

Yep, we are getting a lot of what we want. Less gun control for one thing. We have been winning that fight since Bush was elected. We will win on the illegal alien thing also. All of you guys who think the republican party is doomed please stand up and leave the room, we can do nicely without you.

I do believe this forum has been infiltrated with a bunch of DUmmies who come in with a post now and then to try to concince us that conservatives are dead and dying when in reality it is the liberals who are dying and fast! All of you trolls can take a hike, I am not buying into this garbage.

[Mogollon]

Yep. The alternative is sooo attractive....After all, when they get back in power the liberals will give us Nationwide gay marriage, European/U.N. style Gun control, taxpayer funded Abortion up to and including infanticide, 80% marginal tax rates, socialized medicine, extreme economic down-turn (higher taxes do that), judicial activism to remove the 2nd, 4th, amendments and to remove mention of God in the public arena. (/sarcoff)

Conservative's are far from perfect but they're better than the alternative.

[Erik Latranyi]

Are you getting what you want now?

I'm much closer to it now than you are!

I'll stick with the party that is closer to being a dominant, conservative party than your party will ever be!

The Republican Party can be reformed. Only those people who want everything overnight are losing faith.

[roses of sharon]

"Dear Leader", "evil", wow, that's some way to win an election, Vox Day.

Why not get out on the stump and attack the left and their propagandists?

Why not fan out with the thousands of "true" conservatives and libertarians, and talk to the grassroots at the local and state levels, and win some elections.

Why not take this opportunity of Katrina to educate the public on the fallacy of a federal program, ie, FEMA to save us, and the common sense of having a strong State government, when it comes to an emergency, and move on to the need to have a government close to home, rather that a strong Fed government.

Why not take this idea of huge Federal programs off the table for the public, once and for all, no matter who runs the Feds, it will be huge just by necessity.

Come on, show us what ya got!

We are waiting.

[RockinRight]

I'd love to see the two major parties being either the Republicans and Constitution or the Republicans and Libertarians.

[mel]

But it is odd that they would take such low hits towards each other. More so on the Democrat side putting out hate message.

[Protagoras]

Think of what Gore or Kerry would have done with:

I see, so your point is that you are afraid?

It's a wonderful tool for the Republicans, a huge number of the people who vote for them are actually voting against someone else. Fear sells in politics.

"Vote for us, we're not as bad as the other guys".

[Paradox]

Once we destroy the Democrat party, we'll get to the infighting, between the three factions, the Libertarians, the Cultural Conservatives, and the republicans.

[RockinRight]

Well yes I am.

The point is half a loaf is better than crumbs.

[rattrap]

I posted about this the other day, the votes that I cast might as well have been for democrats because even though they have an R by their name I don't see very many Conservatives around anymore. I'm no longer voting Republican until they clean up their house.

[RockinRight]

Where do the South Park Republicans fit in here?

[Black Tooth]

I am sorry but the statement about conservatives not caring about size of government is wrong. Republicans might not care, but conservatives do.

I agree, but It wasn't me that wrote it.

Here

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1484812/posts?page=58#58

[Itzlzha]

There are plenty of good conservatives in the GOP. We will be better served getting them to the forefront of the party than trying to vote for a third party that will never get more votes nationwide than the number of people living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Yup....like Santorum...oh, wait...he went in the tank for Spector over A GOOD CONSERVATIVE Toomey! Now he's in deep doo-doo, and "Conservatives" are expected to rally around him. Payback is a Beeyotch...Toomey lost because of your betrayal along with GWB's...let's see that the Perfumed Princes of Power find out that actions have consequences!

See, there are a few...A FEW good "Conservatives"...they have principles and follow them.

Interestingly enough, the Statist (R)'s here are the FIRST ones to jump all over them and impugn them as "unelectable". Can you say Tancredo...or McClintock?

Then we are treated to the "Don't waste your vote" drivel.

As long as Conservatives BOHICA for the (R) establishment that has SHOWN it has no INTERTEST in "Conservative" issues (stopping Illegal infiltration/BIG REDUCTIONS in discretionary Gub'Mint spending/Return to Constituitional Law/Eliminating McCain-Feingold/no infringements on 2nd ammendment)...and let them make deals AGAINST us with the "Moderates/LIEberals" the (R)'s will CONTINUE to treat "Conservatives" like LIEberals treat the Plantation Blacks...just shut-up and vote for us!

Nope...not gonna play that game anymore.

[longtermmemmory]

The fact remains that we must stay united in eliminating the democrat party. As long as they exist electorally, the debate is clouded by the looney left.