“end of the conservative movement in America.”
More like the end of America, as I knew it.
God only knows if or when it will come back.
I am now happy to be in a growing country that is free of PC crap and leftist.
Cut. Print. Wrap.
Mr. Tucker’s column is spot on except he is much too kind to the Bush’s. He doesn’t give them near enough of the credit they deserve for killing the conservative movement.
Over!? Was it over when the Nazis bombed Pearl Harbor?
From sub-link
“Conservatives will not be happy if McCain wins. However, they can at least take comfort in the fact that a McCain victory will discredit liberalism as well.”
If this turns out to be the case then how dead could the conservative movement be?
Conservatism, like any political movement, needs icons or spokespersons that symbolize or perfect the meaning of their shared beliefs (some lately have turned to calling this a brand). Unfortunately, For the main stream media and much of the public Limbaugh has become the primary symbol of what it means to be conservative today. Indeed, it is a role that he proclaims for himself. So, our political priority today is perceived as merely trying to mess with Democrats. Rather than having the goal of good governance we appear to be satisfied with making Democratic primaries chaotic. Because of the Limbaugh pulpit, it is supposed that we think that high gas prices are just fine. All the noise about high oil prices is merely the whining left looking for something to complain about. There is no economic downturn, no housing or mortgage crisis, employment is fine if everyone would just get out and hustle for themselves. We have the best health care system exactly the way that it is. The economy is fine, the problem is the negative attitude of left wing media. Global warming is a joke and enviornmental concerns are merely the hobby horse of the cappuccino crowd. If this is our icon we will be in the wilderness for a long time.
W. did to the Republican revolution of ‘94 what his father did to the Reagan revolution. no more country clubbers please. that being said politics is cultural. we need an urban-suburban consvatism that can interface with persons who cannot relate to the culture of the southern and small town contingent of consvatism. Then we can have leadership who can take both conservative factions and make them work together.
“end of the conservative movement in America.”
Total tripe... like the “GOD is dead” bumper stickers of yesteryear. As long as I and Rush Limbaugh draw breath...
LLS
Tucker’s substantially right about conservatism’s current sickly condition; wrong about the complete and utter hopelessness of it all forever and ever, in perpetuity.
The self-indulgent, let’s-all-go-eat-worms tone of this defeatist piece is nothing new. The world is full of such people whose primary talent is pointing out futility. Half the battle is getting them to move out of the way.
When will the libertarian movement start?
You know, I wonder where we’d be if people like Bill Buckley and Barry Goldwater and the others, after the ‘64 election, said, “Nice run, but I guess it’s over.” Or if Ronald Reagan, after that near-miss in ‘76 (setting up a presidential succession of Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter) said, “Well, we haven’t had a conservative president in over twelve years. We’re never going to see one again. Guess I’d better hang it up.” Thank God they didn’t. Thank God that attitude apparently was apparently never even in Reagan’s vocabulary. Frankly, the biggest problem in the conservative movement right now is that we need far less of Mr. Tucker’s attitude and far more of Mr. Reagan’s.
I don’t care how you spin it... GWB ain’t no conservative, no way, no how.
“..it’s obvious that the Reagan era will never, ever return.”
The ‘Reagan era’ was the last flare of a possibility that our culture can no longer deliver. Ronald Reagan is what was. The Three Clowns are America now.
Indeed, the Religionist Party (as I call them) has bet all of our "moral" chips on abortion as a national rather than local issue; by forcing local school issues to the federal level; by by applauding GWB's "compassionate conservative" boondoggles which have been in direct opposition to conservative principles.
They have supported Mike Huckabee who is an egregious tax raiser and Nanny Stater in preference to more conservative candidates.
It's time for conservatives to rethink this alliance with the Religionists and whether it is a good one or not for conservative principles. Personally I believe they're worse and more insidious than RINOs in their destructve influence.
The 1980s were culturally traditional???
I was born in 1950, and AFAIK, there was no essential difference at any time between 1980 and 1999.
It's true that RR brought with him to Washington executive branch officials that would have lunch with traditionalists, and who would smile at them. It's also true that B41 and the Clinton Crime Family sent those officials home.
But in terms of policy? In terms of meaningful action? And in terms of the culture (especially)?
No difference.
But are we dead?
Yes, if we try to recover through the Republican party.
No, if we take the movement in a new direction, with activism external to any party.
So what happens to us? Do we just become dust in the wind and go “poof”?
A Phyrric one, in hindsight.
Reagan represents the pinnacle of conservative success, however, he was also an aberration. Reagan alone is the one and only break in a long line of socialist presidents dating back to 1932. Some of those presidents were likable and innocent enough, but they did not push for a return to conservative, Constitutional principles. Instead they were happy to add their own big government programs to an already out of control government.
I believe it is time for a new party and some new tactics. Compromising conservative ideals and values is not an option.