[G.Mason]

If you remembered right, you would have understood that GWB never showed any signs of being a Conservative as governor of Texas.

Bawling now, about something all of us should have been aware of, is rather pathetic. Hopin and a wishin is best to be done in private.

[rob777]

If you remembered right, you would have understood that GWB never showed any signs of being a Conservative as governor of Texas.




I remember all too well and was not happy when he won the 2000 primary. My problem is that he tried to use the "Compassionate Conservatism" tag to redefine conservatism so as to minimize its commitment to limited government. His campaign pushed for the removal of such planks from the GOP Platform as the elimination of the Federal Department of Education. Instead, he wanted to use the federal government to "reform" education. Limited government conservatives have always opposed such attempts as top down government directed social engineering. Under Bush, social engineering became OK as long as it was done to "our" specifications.

Some conservatives always had reservations about Bush as a conservative but held fire because they feared Gore/Kerry more. With Bush no longer running, there is no more need to hold fire. The issue is not about being anti or pro Bush, it is about defining conservatism.