Alan Greenspan's Autobiography, and His Decision to Switch Political Parties

Findlaw.com ^ | 10/4/07 | John W. Dean

[imd102]

As readers may well know, I am a former Republican, turned Independent because he saw for himself that the GOP was not very good at government. It is nice to have such eminent company as former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank Alan Greenspan. When Greenspan speaks, people truly listen.

Greenspan describes himself as "a lifelong libertarian Republican." But conservative columnist Robert Novak thinks that Greenspan is, in fact, "a Democrat" because he "loves Bill Clinton … he's dismissive of Ronald Reagan as an amiable putz, [and] he detests the Bushes." Others who have read Greenspan's new work think he is a "Goldwater Republican." Labels are always confusing, if not increasingly meaningless; I call myself a "Goldwater conservative," yet am no longer a Republican.

Greenspan bluntly writes that under the Republicans, "[g]overnance has become dangerously dysfunctional." This is the way a central banker says it is broken. (They have their own language, of course - one that Greenspan only occasionally employs, usually to be diplomatic.)

As for the legislative branch under Republican control, Greenspan says succinctly and memorably, "Republicans in Congress lost their way. They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither.

[imd102]

As someone who considers themselves a “libertarian conservative” also, I agree with your assesment that this means social issues are less important than economic. I also agree with you that if that is the definition we go by, then the current administration unfortunately gets a D-.

[rb22982]

Agreed, that and closing the border/booting illegals would have made me a very happy Republican. But alas that did not happen.

[3niner]

For those not old enough to remember John Dean, here is a quick reference. He was never a man of high character, and it is appropriate that he now identifies with the other side.

I've never believed that Alan Greenspan was a Republican.

[ottersnot]

It’s all about what you value.

Abortion-grinding fetuses, you just might be a commie pig deathocrat.

capitalism, freedom. Conservative.