Bush is not and never has been a true conservative. He is a liberal on race, nationalism, and Wilsonian and foreign policy. His economic policy is neo-conservative but he refuses to hold Congress to any fiscal limits.
On social policy, he fights rear-guard actions.
However, I disagree with Buckley on Iran. Allowing Iran a nuclear weapon, even one that cannot be fired by a missle, would be a disaster.
Bush's failure to understand Islamism and explain it to the American people is a strategic disaster. He cannot get Europe or Russia to go along with a schizophrenic policy. The failure of the Bush administration to ask for an enlarged military in 2001 has left us overdrawn. The failure to get Congress on record has left the Bush administration vulnerable.
I could see this in
September 2001. It is sad to think that Bush, Cheney and Rove have not reached similar conclusions in 4.75 years.
That is straight out of Pat Buchanan land. What the hell is "Bush is liberal on race?"