The Death of Conservatism Is Greatly Exaggerated

wsj.com ^ | May 23, 2008 | FRED D. THOMPSON

[FastCoyote]

It makes me want to cry that he wasn’t picked.

[kellynla]

"A political party that adheres to conservative principles should have continuing success – especially if its leadership believes in those principles and is able to articulate them."

"if"...the biggest word in the dictionary. Unless & until true blue conservatives around the country "step up to the plate" and start running for local, state & federal elective offices and get elected to those offices; the Gelding Old Party will NOT improve. Conservatives need to get elected to governorships so that we have a better field of candidates to choose from for POTUS. And "if" the GOP ever expects to be a ruling party again; conservatives must take it back!

[shrinkermd]

Good Post. Good editorial but what follows sounds more like Russell Kirk than the founding fathers:

"...Conservatives value the lessons of history and respect faith and tradition. They are skeptical of mass movements, perfect solutions and what often passes for "progress." At the same time, they recognize that change is inevitable. They also know that while man is prone to err, he is capable of great things and is meant to be free in an unfettered market of ideas, not subjugated by a too-powerful government.

[kabar]

McCain became the presumptive nominee while winning only 31% of the total primary vote. Winner take all and open primaries helped McCain game the system.

[Varda]

A South Carolina guy told me that once it was clear Obama was a sure thing, he voted for McCain on the Repub ballot. I’m sure that happened a lot. Open primaries are stupid.

[Red Boots]

Well said.

[ThePythonicCow]

Veeps are designed to balance the ticket

Not always, and even if so, perhaps to balance on some dimension other than geography. For example, Palin is young, good looking and female, all of which balance potential McCain negatives.

Did Bush choose Cheney to get Wyoming (or to get Texas, if you accept the Democrats claim that Cheney really resided in Texas)? No ... neither state.

[ThePythonicCow]

Very well said. Thanks for posting.

[CharacterCounts]

Can someone tell me again how the hell John McCain won the nomination?

In a word; Huckster. He pulled the SoCons (who already did not like Romney) away from Fred and handed the nomination to McCain.

[seekthetruth]

“Can someone tell me again how the hell John McCain won the nomination? All I remember is seeing him at the bottom of the polls, then a haze came over me and all of a sudden he was the nominee. I’m still not sure it’s real.”

I’m afraid it is real! But keep seeing McCain referred to as the “presumptive Republican nominee”. So wish something would happen to cause a BIG CHANGE at convention! A draft of a Thompson/Romney ticket would be a dream come true!

[SoFloFreeper]

Back to the Top!

Mods, in light of Jim Robinson’s endorsement of Fred Thompson back when he was in the race, can we put this COLUMN on the front page of FR? Or at the top of Sidebars??

This is excellent reading!!

SFF

[SoFloFreeper]

I’ll tell you one big way: he convinced the normally intelligent Cuban delegation in Congress, primarily Senator Martinez, to endorse him in the Florida primary.

Mitt Romney was set to win Florida—and would have had the Michigan and Florida delegates—but the Cuban vote went overwhelmingly for McCain.

I think McCain or a sycophant of his spread some rumor (I forget the content now) about Romney a week or so before the vote in Florida.

We are stuck with McCain. He can do himself some good by picking a CONSERVATIVE running mate...and letting his VEEP have some say in his administration.

[SoFloFreeper]

My two picks were Romney and Thompson, not necessarily in that order. I am sorry they were booted.

[lesser_satan]

Can someone tell me again how the hell John McCain won the nomination? All I remember is seeing him at the bottom of the polls, then a haze came over me and all of a sudden he was the nominee. I’m still not sure it’s real.

Therein is the answer, or at least part of the answer: Nobody thought he had a snowflake's chance in hell, so nobody really went after him.

The other part of the answer involves the primaries being an absolute affront to anything resembling democracy.

[mad_as_he$$]

Fred I love ya man but do not pee on my leg and tell me it is raining.

[lesser_satan]

McCain is at the plate. He has a bucket over his head, he’s facing the wrong way and he can’t find his bat.

ROFL!

[mad_as_he$$]

Funny ain’t it...

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

The Death of Conservatism Is Greatly Exaggerated

[word_warrior_bob]

You know what’s possibly even scarier in what you said?

That blocks of voters are swayed by an endorsement from a politician.

[Texas Federalist]

McCain became the presumptive nominee while winning only 31% of the total primary vote.

He couldn't even take 50% in his home state!