Moosewood Republicans [NYT re new book on gun-loving, whole foods eating, hippie Republicans]

NYT Book Review ^ | March 12, 2006 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

[summer]

Book review: CRUNCHY CONS
How Birkenstocked Burkeans, Gun-Loving Organic Gardeners, Evangelical Free-Range Farmers, Hip Homeschooling Mamas, Right-Wing Nature Lovers, and Their Diverse Tribe of Countercultural Conservatives Plan to Save America (or at Least the Republican Party).
By Rod Dreher.
259 pp. Crown Forum. $24.

THE upscale natural foods grocery chain Whole Foods now stocks a brand of cereal called Ezekiel 4:9. It could pass for any other gravelly, whole-grain, flour-free concoction on the shelves, but Ezekiel's box credits its inspiration to "the Holy Scriptures."

If this sounds like your kind of breakfast, you may be a crunchy con — a new species of ecologically minded, religiously orthodox and socially traditionalist conservative that Rod Dreher speaks for. If not, take the market for Ezekiel 4:9 as evidence he may be onto something.

Dreher, a writer and editor at The Dallas Morning News, argues that a growing number of people are drawn to a kind of across-the-board rejection of modernity that he considers true conservatism but that makes them look a little like "right-wing hippies." Crunchy cons disapprove of abortion rights, same-sex marriage, illegal immigrants, public schools, secular liberals and mothers who work outside the home. But they don't like Wal-Mart, McMansions, suburbs, pollution, agribusiness or processed foods, either.

...Dreher calls "Crunchy Cons" a "handbook of the resistance" ...

...Still, Dreher's survey of crunchy-con lifestyles makes a convincing case that there is a market for his brand of half-hippie traditionalism, even if it is not exactly the conservatism we know today. "There are many mansions in the American conservative house," he writes, "and some of them are old and funky and smell like a pot of organic mustard greens cooking down on the stove."

[freepatriot32]

You're a piece of work!!!!!!

lol I try :-)Thats one of the nicer things ive been called on freerepublic so I'll take it as a compliment :-)

[Gabz]

I meant it as a compliment :)

[bmwcyle]

When you think of politics are just left and right you will never define the population.

[spikeytx86]

I like to use the term "Stealth Republicans". You will see them on many college campus's. From a distance they look like your typical lefty college student. Long Hair, Baggy Pants and T-Shirt, Birkenstock etc. Yet if you talk to them, though they tend to be a moderate to liberal on environmental issues, they tend to be pro-second amendment, pro-life, pro-millitary etc. They also tend to be called "South Park Conservatives" or "Republiterians".

There not the young republicans of yester year but they are most certainly on our side, and IMO an untapped resource for our party.

[S0122017]

But they don't like Wal-Mart, McMansions, suburbs, pollution, agribusiness or processed foods, either.

Or MacDonalds! I hate MacDonalds. And Disney. And cheap stupid flashy cartoons with gross stupid jokes that make kids hyperactive and stupid. Also, i like to pronounce it 'Hippay' as opposed to 'Hippy'.

[S0122017]

You have a libertarian ping list?
But, that means you are democtrate? On FR?
Im not american so i may miss something here.
Anyway put me on that ping list, i'll see what it is about.

[S0122017]

See, the idea that one can "tell" by looking at someone is just wrong. Some people think they can "look" at a person and immediately know: he is right or he is left. But, really, one can't tell.

They tried to guess who voted on which party here in holland for a TV show and they got half correct :). Soooo. Ofcourse it is easy to guess that someone in miniskirts is not voting on the Christian conservative party.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

Some people think they can "look" at a person and immediately know: he is right or he is left. But, really, one can't tell.

True for the most part.

But, haven't you ever noticed most of the really far left Democrats actually look stupid? (Kucinich, Wexler, Pelosi, Boxer, Wyden, Fiendstein, De Fazio, Farr, Frank, etc.)

[S0122017]

But, haven't you ever noticed most of the really far left Democrats actually look stupid? (Kucinich, Wexler, Pelosi, Boxer, Wyden, Fiendstein, De Fazio, Farr, Frank, etc.)

No, that is just conditioning, like Pavlov's dog. You're unconscious mind is so accustomed to associating 'stupid' with 'democrate' that it now automatically links a democtrate's face with being stupid.

[Bella_Bru]

A few months ago we had dinner at a friend's house - staunch Conservative and a casual FReeper. He and his wife were talking about the great selection of organic produce and free-range chicken and beef found at Whole Foods Markets.

There are plenty of "Crunchy Conservatives" out there. People cannot be put into tiny ideological boxes. The majority of hunters are conservationalists because they are smart enough to know that "no open land=no hunting".

Myself and StoneColdGOP are crazy enough to foster a sequoia sapling right now and we both love the forests and mountains and hate pollution. I never have viewed any of those things to be anti-Republican.

[bondjamesbond]

I FReep.

I maintain an organic garden that supplies all my needs (and those of my nieghbors) from June to October.

I conserve energy.

I do not use lawn fertilizer, to minimize non-point source pollution.

I vote Republican.

Anybody got a problem with that?

[bondjamesbond]

I wear Birkenstocks while FReepin'. Go figure...

[bondjamesbond]

A Country Boy Will Survive...

[Alas Babylon!]

Ha! Ezekiel 4:9? Try Ezekiel 4:15.... Now that is gross!

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

“There is no art to find the mind's construction in the face.” (King Duncan - Macbeth)

[S0122017]

I FReep. I maintain an organic garden that supplies all my needs (and those of my nieghbors) from June to October. I conserve energy.
I do not use lawn fertilizer, to minimize non-point source pollution.
I vote Republican.
Anybody got a problem with that?

yes

You could start in May you lazy bum :)

[T Minus Four]

I'm definately crunchy around the edges, but I love Wal-Mart and think McMansions are none of anybody's business except the owner.

[freepatriot32]

You have a libertarian ping list? But, that means you are democtrate? On FR? Im not american so i may miss something here. Anyway put me on that ping list, i'll see what it is about.,?p>

Ok i put you on the list but Libertarians are not democrats and they arent republicans we are the best of both worlds (we are actually more conservativethen the republicans now. the republicans are as big of tax and spend nanny state liberals then the democrats ever were)

the national website for the Libertarian party can be found here http://www.lp.org

They have a quiz you can take to see if you have Libertarian leanings(Being from holland I bet you have strong libertarian leanings) or are a full fledged Libertarian here http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

[freepatriot32]

I vote Republican.

Anybody got a problem with that?

Thats the only thing i got a problem with you need to vote libertarian they are the only conservatives left that wont grow the federal budget 37 percent and create a trillion dollar prescription drug entitlement :-)

[S0122017]

O OH. Apparently im more liberal then i thought. But this quiz does NOT include political issues and the right for self defence, and i side with republicans there.