What is a "Real" Conservative?

01/01/08 | Reaganesque

[Reaganesque]

In this campaign and here on FR there has been a great debate going on over who is a "real" Republican and who is not. Indeed, this debate has become very intense but one critical thing has been missing in all of this hot rhetoric. Is there a general, accepted definition as to what constitutes are "real" Conservative? If so, what is it and who gets to decide this?

So fellow Freepers, what do you think? What characteristics, beliefs, practices, actions or qualification must a candidate have in order to be considered a "real" Conservative?

Or is the definition simply "well, your candidate isn't!"?

[discostu]

No, and if you’d bothered to actually read what I said you wouldn’t even have asked that stupid question as the quote already gave the answer.

[Man50D]

No he’s right. Conservative is a relative term, relative to the times and situations.

Thank you for proving my point in post #55! Going down the slippery slope by using the term "relative" creates this gray area as to what is and isn't Conservative and therefore is simply justifying any viewpoint as Conservative. By that line of thinking one could rationalize Hillary Clinton as Conservative.

[Rudder]

Conservative: where Freedom is more important than Equality.

[LexBaird]

That's tantamount to saying the Constitution is a living breathing document because anyone can interpret it anyway they want to suit their needs.

No it isn't. The Constitution is in black and white. It is concrete. The words are what they are, and it is simple to extract their historical meaning, as well as the intent of the writers. It's purpose is to define the specific powers that the People delegate to the Government and lay out the framework for our Federal level.

Personal philosopy is not concrete, it is a mental construct. Conservative is an adjective, not a noun. Conservative versus Progressive is a continuum, like hot versus cold or up versus down. Is boiling water hot? Yes, compared to ice, no, compared to molten magma. Was JFK a conservative? No, compared to Goldwater. Yes, compared to Pelosi or most of the modern Dem leadership cadre.

[Constitution Day]

On this site?
Why, someone that has no realistic chance in HELL of ever getting elected to Head Dogcatcher, of course.

And even then, he’d probably have once mentioned support for gay marriage among French Poodles.

[discostu]

Wow you really need to actually read what people write. READ THE POST, it’s not a slippery slope it’s historical FACT. Conservative and liberal ARE relative terms, the always HAVE BEEN and always WILL BE relative terms. No rationalization, simple reality, certain words don’t have permanent definitions, some word change with every epoch of history. Deny it if you want, but it’s the truth.

[Man50D]

No, and if you’d bothered to actually read what I said you wouldn’t even have asked that stupid question as the quote already gave the answer.

I read every word of your post and it only shows you regard polls as an exact science. They don't come close to being reliable enough to consider them accurate.

Unfortunately too many people approach their candidates like they do a sports team and think lying to themselves is a show of loyalty.

Unfortunately too many people use the same approach and irrationality with polls.

[discostu]

Sorry but you obviously did not read what I wrote, you obviously read two words decided the rest and made a patently foolish counter argument. And you continue to do so. I never said, never even intimated, that polls are an exact science. In fact I said, in the part you quoted, that they can be wrong. So why don’t you stop writing and actually READ and UNDERSTAND, because every time you write you demonstrate how little you do of the far more important two.

[Man50D]

No it isn't. The Constitution is in black and white. It is concrete

I agree but many people have used the "living breathing " term to justify their interpretation of the Constitution. The same irrationality is used with Conservatism. People try to distort the concept of Conservatism by saying one can be fiscally Conservative and socially liberal(socialist). That is a contradiction. A person cannot support socialist programs that require spending large sums of money while supporting controlled budget spending. The two are mutually exclusive. It's disingenuous attempting to pass this off as Conservative.

[LexBaird]

By that line of thinking one could rationalize Hillary Clinton as Conservative.

No, you can't, because when you specify a relative term, there is always either an explicit or an implicit scale. If I say "Today is cold", it is implicit that I am comparing it to the norm. Unless you specify that you are comparing Hillary to Che Guevarra or some other nontypical "norm", the assumption is for American politicians, the class to which she belongs.

Duncan Hunter is a bleeding heart liberal and radical libertine ... compared to Sheik Omar of the Taliban.

[Grunthor]

“What is a “Real” Conservative?”

Not in any order;

Pro-2nd amendment

Pro-traditional marriage

Pro-small government

Pro-life

Pro-sovereignty (and all that entails)

Pro-strong military

I probably have forgotten someones’ pet issue but there are my most important....for a conservative.

[G8 Diplomat]

Pro-life, pro-gun, pro-marriage, pro-family, pro-victory in Iraq, strong national defense, low taxes, small government, anti-illegal immigration, anti-universal healthcare, pro-waterboarding terrorists, anti-affirmative action in schools and companies, knows that global warming is a fake, doesn’t propogate the war on Christmas or any PC/diversity/tolerance rhetoric

Uh...anything I’m forgetting?

[ElkGroveDan]

I would say that your FR handle describes conservatism perfectly.

[Man50D]

Sorry but you obviously did not read what I wrote, you obviously read two words decided the rest and made a patently foolish counter argument. In fact I said, in the part you quoted, that they can be wrong.

Thank you for confirming my point! Polls can be wrong and by association are therefore unreliable!

So why don’t you stop writing and actually READ and UNDERSTAND, because every time you write you demonstrate how little you do of the far more important two.

Ah yes, absent of any facts the last resort is to use insults. Very clever strategy.

[Duchess47]

Sounds like Ron Paul doesn’t it :)

[thefactor]

your going to catch some undeserved flack for the least item on your list.

[thefactor]

you’re going to catch some undeserved flack for the least item on your list.

[Mr. Jeeves]

What is a "Real" Conservative?

For me, the heart of it is the desire to conserve the Constitution and the radical spirit of liberty brought forth by the Founding Fathers.

When that desire is missing or subordinated to practical political concerns, the viewpoint being expressed can no longer be called conservative.

[WFTR]

I'm too sick and too tired to answer this question as seriously and completely as the question needs to be answered. I'll throw out a few thoughts. I think the first answer is that a real conservative loves the U.S.A. and puts the U.S.A. first. A real conservative understands that life is difficult and competitive and that we won't be able to raise the entire world to our standard of living. A real conservative doesn't respond to that hard truth by trying to lower our standard of living to that of the rest of the world by redistributing wealth from the American taxpayer to other people. A real conservative understands that no one can consume what hasn't been produced and therefore production must be higher than consumption in any sustainable society. A real conservative understands that an individual's first obligation is to meet his own needs and those of his family. A real conservative believes that people should be free to make their own decisions, to reap the rewards of good decisions, and to be responsible for the consequences of bad decisions. A real conservative understands that if parents don't raise their own kids well, no policy or set of policies can save a society. Occasionally, a good person can overcome a bad upbringing, but a society will not survive large numbers of people who were not raised well by their parents. A real conservative understands that tragedy is a part of life, that government cannot prevent all tragedy (or maybe even most tragedy), and that a government that goes too far in trying to eliminate tragedy will do more harm than good. A real conservative understands that the purpose of the criminal justice system should be to enforce a just punishment on those who disobey just laws and not to try to make everyone else live as anyone else does. A real conservative understands that our country has a Christian religious heritage and that this heritage has generally been good for the country. A real conservative understands this fact even though he may not be a Christian and may not respect many of the Christians he encounters.

Bill

[LexBaird]

fiscally Conservative and socially liberal(socialist). That is a contradiction.

Socially liberal is not the same as socialist. Socially liberal means having relaxed standards of social normality, such as attitudes about marriage, religion, drug use, and sexual relationships. Socialism refers to an economic system where all property is jointly owned by the Society and administered by the government.

One can believe in eliminating SocSec, Welfare and Govt. subsidies and still believe "Gay Marriage" is just fine. Just as someone can be a Socialist who legislates against homosexuality, such as Stalin was.