Posted on 10/12/2005 6:06:38 PM PDT by quidnunc
Try this for a picture:
The nation with a President whose Investor's Business Daily Leadership Index stands at 41, a 9-point plunge since August; Republicans, who during his presidency have rated him as high as 95, now rate him at only 79. Declining support for the American presence in Iraq. Deficit spending at record levels, with more to come for Katrina recovery. Gasoline at $3 per gallon, and big jitters over the prospect of winter heating bills double those of just a year ago.
-snip-
So what is it about this, perhaps the fastest fall in presidential approval?
The ideologization of the right.
For decades, a conservative ideology — a set of "correct" beliefs forming a lens through which one views reality — did not exist. The conservative movement, such as it was, contained former Communists and anti-Communists, free marketers and compassionists and private-sector welfarists; unionists (Ronald Reagan's "hardhats") and those driven by a commitment to the Taft-Hartley Law's section 14-B; Burkeans, traditionalists, libertarians, religionists, and believers in living one's life according to an individualized secular virtue; neo-con refugees from the liberal swamp.
The conservative umbrella kept the rain off all these disparates; the conservative tent had room for just about anyone.
Conservatives took over the Republican Party and drove it to political power. On their way to consolidating power, two things happened. (1) They demonstrated time and again that they were not particularly good at government — that in many ways they don't do the governing thing well, often not so well as liberal Democrats. (2) They coalesced around a set of views and values one generally had to embrace in order to have one's claim of allegiance to the conservative flag accepted.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
Bush and Kerry were both on my list...Kerry was #50...Bush was #49...#2 thru 48 were vacant...#1 couldn't win...Weren't enough voting conservatives to do any good...
"The power of hate that is driving most on the left and some on the right is very destructive and it can lead to extremely irrational and destructive thoughts and actions."
Speaking from one person on the rights point of view...I've been sold down the river. As another poster here on this thread astutely pointed out...the one difference between GWB and Kerry, is the war. I hate no one, by the way.
"Pragmatic Conservatism Is The Only Way for a Long Lasting Conservative Majority."
Do limits apply to pragmatism, or just core conservative principles?
"I'll agree 100% on the spelling "comapassionate""
It is looking better all the time isn't it?
Conservatism is not a political party.
This is becoming a neocon civil war and I'm loving it!
I don't have much use for the girlymen at TWS and the remnants of NR, but here's hoping they win their slap fight with quidnunc and the Kennebunkbot Koolaid Brigades!
Of course, both sides save their vitriol for their mortal enemies - conservatives and libertarians.
The opposition is arguing: if Bush doesn't do what we want, we will turn the government baqck over to the Democrats by staying home. Rather than accept half a loaf, they would rather starve,
"The GOP better get THEIR act together."
It's not the GOP... It's the GOP's followers - CONSERVATIVES jump ship at a moments notice. They did the same thing to the President's dad, and gave the leadership of this country to the Clintons.
Self describe "Conservatives" are doing the same thing today over the SCOTUS nomination. The pencil pushing bimbo (Ann C**lter) is leading the charge for a President Hillary. And we are to blame.
Obiedience to party doesn't suit me. If you roll over does your master rub your belly?
Nonsense. I have seen nothing from the Conservative Establishment making the case that Bush picked the wrong person. YOU all jumped up and started screaming about it on day one. None of you has bothered to find out ANY facts about her or why Bush did this. Your side has even to this date failed to provide a rational factual argument against her. Boil all the hand wringing by the Conservative Establishment down so far and all the Anti-Miers argument amounts to is "She isn't OUR choice." OK, sorry you are mad but that is irrelevent. We are a Consitutional Republic, not a Democracy.
How about a mature adult mind that realized they will never find perfection in life? The thinking person understands that in any group interaction the individual must accept not everything can be ordered to their own personal choice. What you want is the power to dictate that everyone else conform to your views. Sorry that is not how it works in politics.
If you really believe that, you are NOT paying attention. Do you suppose Soc Security, the Govts largest Spending Program would even be on the table if Kerry won?
Right the Dems would of passed the Tax Cuts and have Soc Security Reform on the table. They would of passed the Refinery Bill the House passed on Friday. They would have appointed John Roberts, Priscilla Owens, Pickering and Brown to the courts. Sorry but for any Freeper to be saying this clearly indicates a segment of Freepers is NOT intrested in reality but only in spewing their knee jerk Bush hate.
Precisely.
Clinton had no real ideology which is why under his watch the Dems lost the House, the Senate, and mayoralty after governorship. He left the Dem party in worse shape than he found it.
Now, this business about big government conservatives.
Christian conservatives made the GOP the majority party and they, as I never tire of saying, are the children and grandchildren of New Deal Democrats and the great grandchildren of William Jennings Bryan Populists. They were never the ideological heirs of McKinley-Taft-Coolidge Old Guard Republicans.
I forgot that we're not all conservatives/republicans here, and I should have put the sarcasm tag on.
This used to be a republic. People who think "Majority Rules" are called "democrats"...
Gas is $2.35 here in Minnesota.
Part of the breakdown on the part of some conservatives regarding the Meirs nomination is that they appear to now want a conservative activist judge.
Since much of our side's argument when it comes to the court is that we don't want liberal activist judges, the current desire for 'our' activist judges makes us all look pretty bad.
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