Conservatives in crisis (Worst president in history doing just fine)

The Hill ^ | 1/11/12 | Brent Budowsky

[Libloather]

Conservatives in crisis
By Brent Budowsky - 01/11/12 06:45 PM ET

As conservatives prepare for an urgent meeting this weekend to discuss their options in the 2012 campaign, they face an epic crisis of identity and electability that creates rising odds for the reelection of President Obama.

Throughout the 2012 campaign, there has not been one credible conservative candidate for the presidency.

Conservatives now face a choice between a front-runner of no lasting convictions — who has lost campaigns for two out of three major offices he has previously run for and who champions a predatory capitalism that applauds layoffs when jobs are the primary issue —against a divided group of second-tier candidates that may be the weakest field in the history of presidential politics.

To explain why this has happened, consider William F. Buckley:

I knew William Buckley. I admired William Buckley. Conservatives today are not William Buckley. Without Buckley in the 1960s there might not have been President Reagan in the 1980s.

I met Buckley when I was too young to vote, drink or shave and worked for the great liberal congressman Allard Lowenstein, a close friend of Buckley. Buckley was often at Lowenstein’s home when I was present. He believed Lowenstein was a great man and despite their different views, supported Al for Congress.

Buckley believed in creative conservative ideas. He fought hard to banish hatred and extremism from the conservative movement. It was this vision, which promoted the rise of Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan, that is absent today.

Conservatives leaders today have supported or tolerated invective, ugliness and at times,pure hatred of the president that Buckley, Kemp and Reagan would have ferociously condemned. This attitude of poison and venom that dominates much of our politics led the most qualified conservatives (especially Mitch Daniels) to refuse to even run for the nomination and prevents the most electable conservative (Jon Huntsman) from being nominated.

As conservative leaders prepare to meet in emergency session, they are faced with a divided field of lightweights, big-government conservatives, crony capitalists, a conservative who debates whether three people should be married, a candidate who demands advocates of Freddie Mac go to jail after taking huge money from Freddie Mac and fibs that he earned it as a historian, a candidate who proposes re-invading Iraq, an 18th-century conservative and a very electable conservative who reluctantly says he is conservative.

Conservative leaders should have long ago denounced attacks against the president’s Christianity and Americanism, united behind a credible conservative candidate and stopped making excuses for lightweight vanity players or vindictive venom players who are unfit to lead and unable to win.

Conservatives might soon look like North Korean mourners showing exaggerated emotion for their dear and deceased leader, if they must champion Mitt Romney as the last best hope for those who despise the president.

President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher were conviction politicians; Romney is America’s conviction-less politician. He has treated ambitions to be governor, senator and president as corporate takeovers, claiming he believes whatever will get him a majority of stock in whatever he wants.

Romney’s conviction-less politics have usually failed. He was soundly defeated by Ted Kennedy for the Senate, defeated by John McCain in 2008, and so unpopular as governor that he probably would have been defeated had he run for reelection.

The GOP battle will not be decided until Super Tuesday at the earliest. Even then, a majority of delegates might still favor someone other than Romney.

Conservatives should remember their great moments in history and leaders such as Buckley, Kemp and Reagan.

If Republicans run a candidate like Thomas Dewey in 1948, or Barry Goldwater in 1964, America will reelect President Obama in 2012. I must admit this is an outcome I favor, which looks more likely to me every day.

[Libloather]

You ready for another 11 months of the pimping?

[Revolting cat!]

‘Budowsky’? Isn’t that a ridiculous character played by the late great John Belushi?

[Brilliant]

All of this was entirely predictable, as evidenced by the fact that I predicted more than 2 years ago that we’d have this problem, ie. a weak GOP field. I was assured by everyone that I was acting like Chicken Little, and there was nothing to worry about because the election was 3 years away. So much for that.

[Nick Danger]

Conservative leaders should have long ago denounced attacks against the president’s Christianity and Americanism, united behind a credible conservative candidate and stopped making excuses

Budowski would have us believe that there are "conservative leaders" who can make candidates appear and disappear by turning a faucet.

Why does he do that? He knows perfectly well that there are no "liberal leaders" who could do that. Why tell us that conservatives have such leaders?

Budowsky is living in the past. With all these GOP debates, it takes hardly any money for someone to get up there and make a total fool of himself. If he can get a mere 1% in the polls, he can stay in the race and get national TV exposure. If the presidency thing doesn't pan out, maybe there's a lucrative deal with Fox News or CNN waiting when its over.

No "leaders" can do anything about this. Neither can "donors," because it no longer takes Big Bucks to play the game.

No, we're stuck with this. But the same thing awaits Mr. Budowsky and his Democrats in 2016.

[phillyfanatic]

This flack, Brent, only supports compromising liberal Pubs and hates most of the conservs and their agenda. He is simply a DNC flacker. Nothing he says ever seems to hold water.

[nascarnation]

Why would we denounce attacks on Baraq’s Christianity and Americanism?

Baraq regularly attended Rev Wright’s Temple of Hate.

It was the MSM that should have joined in but totally ignored.

[eclecticEel]

Perhaps this guy’s jumping the gun a bit, but it looks like the democrats love affair with Romney is definitely over.

[Timber Rattler]

So who are these supposed “Conservatives” leaders who are holding an emergency meeting? Inquiring minds want to know...

[Minn]

So who are these supposed “Conservatives” leaders who are holding an emergency meeting?

I plan on stopping by if I can get my errands done soon enough.

[zeestephen]

I wasn't quite as prescient as commentator “Brilliant.”

I predicted 11 months ago that the economy would slowly improve until November 2012.

I predicted the Hard Left major news media would conceal every negative economic report, hype every positive report, and relentlessly assault the GOP with any issue that might distract or demoralize Conservatives.

And I predicted Obama would be easily reelected.

Why?

Except for Rush Limbaugh, Conservatives have had no serious national leadership since Newt Gingrich self-destructed in the mid-1990’s.

Except for white males and first generation Cubans, no major population group in America can be counted on to vote more than 50% for Conservatives.