[T'wit]

But "paleocon" should not be a term of opprobrium. To me, it's always been "the" conservative movement -- Buckley's National Review, the Goldwater movement, Reagan (who was conservative long before the neo-cons awoke from 60s liberalism). And those are all good guys. If the "old" version of conservatism is getting a bad name, we have a severe semantic problem.

[ChadGore]

Re:To me, it's always been "the" conservative movement

Agreed.

[SunStar]

And those are all good guys. If the "old" version of conservatism is getting a bad name, we have a severe semantic problem.

Too late...

Neocons: Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Bill Kristol

Paleocons: Buchanan, Ron Paul, Taki Theocrap, David Duke

[Kenny Bunk]

Ha!

You are correct. Before Ronald Reagan and Rush Limbaugh, all the true conservatives in the country could have gathered for cocktails on the poop deck of William F. Buckley's yacht, Cyrano.

In fact, they often did! Now, condemned as "Paleo-Conservatives," it is quite understandable that their silken knickers occasionally get in a bit of a twist. I mean after all, "Who the Hell are all these new people in the club!"

Oh yeah, IMHO, they are also quite uncomfortable with actually winning elections.

[Stultis]

Reagan (who was conservative long before the neo-cons awoke from 60s liberalism)

Pegging Reagan as a paleocon is highly dubious. Yeah, he left the Democratic party before the main exodus of neocons began, but he did so for the same reasons, indicative of the fact that California Democrats veered left earlier than their East coast counterparts. It's also hard to reconcile with Reagan's strong belief in free trade, or with the enthusiasm with which neocons flocked to his banner and the importance they played in his administration.

[wardaddy]

Mega Bump.

[Dr. Frank fan]

But "paleocon" should not be a term of opprobrium.

Who says it is? many paleocons get defensive at being called as such, but that's their own fault

[BlackElk]

Ummmm, one of the self-defining positions of "paleo-cons" is that they despise National Review and Bill Buckley, Bill Rusher, and many early editors of National Review who were not only Jewish by ancestry or Faith but also, in numerous cases, ex-communists such as Frank and Elsie Meyer, Max Eastman and others. Reagan never had an allergy to Jewish allies. Goldwater was the grandson of a Jewish department store owner and of three Christian grandparents.

Don't believe me. Review for yourself the websites of the Rockford Institute (chronicles.com) and "paleocon" foreign policy guru Justin Raimondo (antiwar.com, no less!) and judge for yourself. These people are NOT conservative. They are simply social eccentrics, the kind you used to have fun teasing in high school, who hide behind a bizarre agenda and sully the good name of conservatism.

[mercy]

Sematics to say the least. What we have here is the faithful running after false gods. I'M the only 'real' conservative I know. I am convinced we lost it all when we gave the vote to any but male land-holders.