Contrary to published reports of his demise, WFB Lives!
Posted on 06/05/2008 8:32:41 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Why the Conservative Crisis? To me, Conservatism is mostly the child of Wisdom and Common Sense. But what do we do when common sense is no longer common and wisdom is no longer held in esteem?
That is the current state of Conservatism in America. Slandered and slapped, belittled and maligned. Many conservative Americans are shifting nervously in their seats, unsure of what they were once sure of. The power of a constant drone of the media, academia, and even popular culture can make even the most headstrong believers hesitate.
When the perception is built that almost nobody believes as you do, you have a decision to make. Will you give in to the perceptions of popular culture, or will you embrace what you instinctively know to be the truth?
Political conservatives are experiencing what theological conservatives have experienced for centuries. The incessant attacks on long-established doctrines of truth and tenets of the faith. In the Christian church and seminary, there has been a war raging since Christ ascended on the mount and sent His disciples out with the Great Commission.
The subtle question of ‘what if?’ is the weapon most utilized by the enemy. What if that’s not what the Scripture really means? What if my core beliefs are wrong? What if I’m being too narrow? What if the heathens are really right? It is the same question that was used at the beginning, when the serpent beguiled Eve.
“Hath God said…?” What if you really misunderstood what God meant? What if you’re doing it wrong? What if you are missing out on something FANTASTIC because you’re too narrow in your thinking? And Eve bit the apple. In short order, so did Adam, and we’ve all been paying for it ever since.
Churches and leaders have compromised over and over with the world system out of the fear of ‘what if?’ What if the Da Vinci Code is right? What if Jesus was married and had kids? What if Creation is an abstract concept and the Darwinists are right? What if I can’t raise my kids to stay pure, off drugs, and out of jail?
We water down our convictions to lower expectations when that nagging doubt of ‘what if’ torments us. We waffle and waiver in the most important areas of our lives and relationships when ‘what if’ blinds our sight. So what do we do with “what if’?
‘What if’ is not a cause for panic or dismay, it is an opportunity to genuinely sort through our belief system. When faced with doubts, the best decision is to go back to the basics. Why do I believe what I believe? What is the evidence? Who are the opponents of this view? What is there evidence? In the absence of evidence, are there certain positions I can stand on in faith?
These challenges to our understanding of the world we live in ought to strengthen our fundamental beliefs. A serious, honest inventory of our thoughts and understanding should solidify in our minds what is worth believing and what is worth fighting for.
So for our politically conservative brethren, a question: Why do you believe what you believe? If what you believe in is true, then how can that belief be shaken? Is what you believe worth fighting for?
Many people refuse to do the work of owning their own beliefs, and make themselves the targets of the ‘what ifs’. Many conservatives long for a Ronald Reagan to happen on the scene and once again articulate the conservative position and fight for recognition of the power of these truths. And many conservatives were heartbroken when no Reagan appeared for the Presidential Primaries.
Even those ‘conservative’ candidates running were poor evangelists of the Conservative Cause. Fred Thompson assumed too many people already knew what conservatism was and would support him because he was for it. Mitt Romney too late began to articulate with clarity the conservative position. Mike Huckabee was too ‘compassionate’ a conservative to take a glaringly strong stand. Rudy Gulianni was only half conservative, and left the back door open for moderation.
So we defaulted to a moderate to liberal McCain, who was pushed over the top in large part to the evangelicals mobbing Huckabee and cutting Romney and Thompson out, and the independents and Democrats who voted in the early primaries.
So now they tell me there is a ‘conservative crisis’ that we are depressed and aimless, demoralized and marginalized. The crisis is only one of belief. Many conservatives do not own their own beliefs, they let others define it for them. They let others fight for it and think it through. So, how do I own my own beliefs? Glad ya asked!
Have your thoughts on the subject matter fully sorted. It is a horrible thing to wait until you are asked the question to search for the answers. We should be asking ourselves the questions constantly. What do I believe about this subject? What is the conservative position? What principles apply? Don’t let others bully your thinking, be prepared ahead of time.
Read widely. Know what the positions on these topics are. It requires a bit of effort, but the rewards are worth it. Knowing what you believe and what is worth fighting for can save you a lot of angst and worry. It can help bring peace to your life.
Articulate what you believe. Until you have had to write sensibly or say out loud what you really believe, you really don’t have it sorted. Just letting it tumble around in your head for a while does not mean you can whip out a rousing defense of conservatism. Ronald Reagan was constantly writing, on notepads, in margins of books, on napkins, he was tireless in his articulation of what he believed. So when his moment in history came, he was prepped and ready not just to further his political ambitions, but to lead a movement.
That movement is in crisis today, because we don’t understand clearly what we believe, hold to what we believe, or fight effectively for what we believe. If conservatism is to rise to her greatness, this is exactly what we must do. No compromises, but victories. Not tired slogans, but moving arguments to convince those who oppose our point of view that we have the right principles and beliefs.
There is no Reagan on the horizon to ride in and save us, that we can point to and say, “Yeah! What he said!” That mantle falls to us. Get equipped, get prepared, and step into the battle. Lead your own movement, and stand up for what you believe. The nation needs you to, and the world needs you to.
I don’t need any leader to save me and explain what I believe.
The reason people - and by that I mean normal conservative people (the middle class) - aren’t running for office is the damnable expense, the press’s orifice inspection of everything you’ve done, said, and worked, and then there are the inevitable lies and innuendos that literally tear-apart a person’s life. It’s enough to keep a Saint holed up in a cave and prevents nice folks from running for public office.
Decent, honest people want to live their lives without hoopla, enjoy their families, and work hard. It is the activists that yearn for politics.
A whole of of people who believed in Reagan 20-30 years ago, today have turned out to be more followers of Reagan and not true conservatives. Many have moved away from Reaganism and abandoned the conservative principles he promoted in favor of moderate and even liberal policies.
We rightwingers don’t have a legitimate spokesman who can advance the conservative agenda. The leftwing doesn’t seem to have that problem. If McCain is the best the GOP can do, hold on tight, its gonna be a rough ride for the next 4-8 years.
There is some truth. And with that statement as a foundation, I would offer, that there is nothing common about elitists and to elitists common sense is something very very foreign. And to elitists there is only one wisdom and that is the worldly wisdom which can be called with another term sophistication. There it is, the Washington insider elite as represented by Senators Obama, Clinton and McCain possess little if any common sense and confuse wisdom with sophistication.
There is a left wing liberal socialist whacko crisis.
Conservatives do not need mutual support and whiney affection in order to be conservatives. Only liberals need to feel that they are part of a conformist group of similar "visionaries." in order to run with the pack, and abandon analytical thought in emotional hoo haw.Thats why they are so vulneable to a petty fascist like Obama, he plays on those emotions.
Conservatives are generally individualists who couldn't give a shit about being part of a pack mentality ruled by emotion instead of logic.
There is no conservative crisis.
There is only a liberal whiney crisis.
So all you conservatives out there?
Whack a liberal today.
Nothing will shake my belief in conservatism, limited government and ordered liberty.
Nothing. No amount of droning MSM brainwashing will move me.
Yes, part of the fault can be charged to the Evangelicals, who got taken in by Huckabee. And as the primaries proceeded, Huckabee actually seemed to be guarding McCain's flank. It was very noticeable that he constantly attacked Thompson and Romney but gave McCain a free pass. I think Evangelicals started to wake up, but as I feared, too late.
But it never would have happened if the Country Clubbers in charge of the RNC hadn't stacked the deck, but frontloading the primary schedule with liberal crossover states, ensuring that Independents and Democrats would be able to rig the vote before most conservatives even have a chance to weigh in.
There are just as many conservatives in this country as there were in 2004, but they have been kicked in the teeth by Bush and the RNC and pork-hungry Republicans in congress. As a result, conservatives are discouraged and have no one to vote for, and the Republican Party is in serious disarray and may toss away an otherwise certain win in this critical election.
Most of us know perfectly well what we want to vote for. We just aren't being offered the opportunity to vote for it.
Agreed. The neocon liberals have fought for big government while claiming the "conservative" title.
And many conservatives were heartbroken when no Reagan appeared for the Presidential Primaries.
They mocked him when he did.
Listen to old Reagan speeches, and the model is so simple...cut government and get the govt out of our lives.
Top five issues on which I stand;
1. Border Security, including deportations.
2. Economy, energy prices (no global warming BS, DRILL HERE NOW)
3. Strong Military
4. NO gay “marriage” and abortion only in extremely rare cases
5. The Constitution. Anyone having authored, signed, sponsored or voted for anti-constitutional legislation is UNWORTHY of any office, including the Presidency.
Now I am not sure if people would call me a Conservative, or an extremist and I don’t care. One thing becoming glaringly clear is that I do NOT fit the current definition of a Republican.
Pretty accurate analysis, with the last part the most significant. Our chaotic primary "system" sucks.
McCain is for almost everything that I am against, and against almost everything that I am for, excepting his apparent desire to win the war against the islamoheathens. And that one exception is absolutely the only thing that matters.
Yep, and McCain is not someone I feel comfortable with.
And for whomever wants to jump in on that with the old 'lesser of two evils' crap: zip it.
The RNC and party leaders (and blind party followers) are in serious need of a 2 x 4 upside the head, and if it takes the greater of two evils to get them to wake up to the fact that going dem lite is no better than going dem. One is faster, and one may be slower, but both those roads are going to take you to the same place: ruin, That place is not the America I grew up in and would like to leave for posterity.
Nope, going dem lite in (R) clothing is not the answer, it's the problem.
I'll support any strong, principled conservative who has the stones to take it to the enemy, and I don't mean Iran or any other foreign enemy.
Totally agree. There's no crisis of "conservatism." There's a crisis of leadership in our chosen political organ, the Republican party. Also, misteps and some ineptitude in the current admin have brought discredit on the conservative "ethos," or "brand name" or whatever they call it these days. In addition, the bench is thin among 50-ish crowd in the Rep party.
This will pass. We must remember the words of Lady Thatcher: there are no permanent defeats in politics, because there are no permanent victories. One wishes people would keep things in perspective and take the long view. That would be the "conservative" thing to do.
What if I sacrificed my beliefs just to win?
I’ll stick with my beliefs first!
Win Or Lose!
Bush is the problem.
PING for good conservative analysis.
see also:
http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2008/06/21st-century-conservatism.html
I agree with most of your reply, but I get lost at the point where you blame the RNC. And I agree that the main problem is the primary schedule, but that is decided by individual state legislatures, isn't it? I myself have been down this logical road, and have made very similar posts, but the RNC doesn't control the states. Do they?
Now that would be something I would like to see; the old Whack-A-Mole arcade game with the moles replaced with figures of Hillary, Obambi, The Swimmer...
Bookmark!
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