Conservatives, Cut Bush Slack

The Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 22, 2002 | Thomas Roeser

[quidnunc]

This summer will mark the 47th year since I took my first Republican job: as public relations director for the party in Minnesota. Since then I have rarely strayed from politics, or my party. I served as a staffer to two GOP congressmen, to a GOP governor, as a federal appointee to Richard Nixon and as a corporate executive who supported in Washington and Springfield much, if not all, of the Republican agenda.

You can describe me as a conservative. Thus I am qualified to say that although I dearly love conservatives, they tend to be querulous, disagreeable and threaten revolt when Republican office-holders don't please them. So it is now with George W. Bush. Here is a president who has surprised us all with the firmness and resolve he showed after 9/11. I must tell you I voted for him with less enthusiasm than I had for many of his predecessors. But his administration has pleased me often — most notably on two issues: defense of America and social policy.

Yet, Bush has to get re-elected in a country that is evenly divided on philosophy. Thus he must occasionally — on matters that sometimes offend conservatives — dip into the other side's ideology for support. He has done so on three notable occasions: on the issue of steel protectionism, where he departed his free-market proclamations; on the signing of a campaign finance bill tailored by his enemies, and allowing his attorney general (in the words of Libertarian Nat Hentoff in the Washington Times) "to send disguised agents into religious institutions, libraries and meetings of citizens critical of government policy without a previous complaint, or reason to believe that a crime has been committed."

In a perfect political world, where conservatives are in the majority, these things would be sufficient to encourage a boycott of the polls. Either that or a protest vote for the Democratic opposition. But we are not in a perfect world. We conservatives have a president who didn't receive a majority of the votes, and has one house of Congress against him. He must make compromises to get re-elected. Conservatives who do not understand the nature of politics ought to stay in their air-conditioned ivory towers and refrain from political activity altogether. If they cannot adjudge the stakes in this election and the difference between Bush and an Al Gore or a John Kerry (D-Mass.) or a Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), they are foolish indeed.

-snip-

To read the remainder of this op/ed open the article via the link provided in the thread's header.

[Texasforever]

Goldwater the leftist

[Texasforever]

Tancredo.

What other than immigration places him as a viable candidate. Do you know anything else about him?

[Reagan Man]

In the later years of his life, Barry Goldwater was a liberal-libertarian. He was pro-choice, supported special rights for homosexuals and publically supported Bill Clinton. His hand picked successor was John "Insane" McCain! Goldwater also opposed Nixon in `68 and Reagan in `80. BarryG was never all there.

[tpaine]

You are demented sinky.

Altho I guess I am a silly ass for believeing that FR is REALLY still dedicated to constitutional restortation. -- Seems we've slipped into being just another Rino cheer leading team.

[Demidog]

This doesn't support your case.

A politician was putting conscience above politics. They couldn't deal with it.

Goldwater was true to his principles. McCain has no principles.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

I recall the campaign promise that adoption would be adapted to have all the gov red tape/$$$$$$ to make it feasible. This was to appease abortions and this did not even happen.

[AAABEST]

If a Palestinian state is not acceptable then he should stand up and say so and tell Bush to stick it. If not then he is just a whipped pup and he AND Israel have no business pretending they are a nation.

Is the above statement actually a serious one? Please say no. If it is, your elementary grasp things global isn't even worth one word of serious debate. I could converse with my tomato plants and learn more.

Saturday night and no date again huh? I feel your pain here…..put some ice on it. LOL

Thanks for feeling my pain but the only pain you feel is when you run that hole in your face when you have no idea WTF you're talking about. Or maybe you're feeling residual "pain" because someone in real life put a couple of dents in your head for talking out of turn to people who weren't bothering you in the first place.

I don't have to "date" anymore, I quit that when I married a beautiful woman.

[Texasforever]

crimes against the constitution

Other than "treason" what crimes? I see you have dropped treason so what are the "crimes"?

[Torie]

I found Trancredo to be singularly unimpressive when he was interviewed on Free Republic Network. He had his facts wrong on Colorado redistricting as I recall. He is not now, and never will be, a major leaguer.

[Uncle Sham]

"The principle of holding the current position at all costs until reinforcements arrive - as opposed to deserting your posts or surrendering to the enemy. "

Jim, is a there a point at which sliding to the left can no longer be defined as "holding the current position"? If so, doesn't reaching this point require a redefining of just who or what the "enemy" really is?

[Mo1]

Oh Geez ... there are over 400 posts .. could ya give me a summary ..

Oh and I liked the other kitty better

[Demidog]

Today, I am most likely to be called an extreme leftist, since I favor immediate withdrawal from Vietnam, denounce U.S. imperialism, advocate Black Power, and have just joined the new Peace and Freedom Party. And yet my basic political views have not changed by a single iota in these two decades!" - Murray Rothbard

You should at least read the articles. Goldwater didn't change his positions. That was the point.

[deport]

As Haley Barbour says, I was born at night but not last night.

Well maybe you just fell off the "turnip wagon" then. LOL...

A lot of people don't like polls but they can be indicators or trends of events. Take a look at the 2000 exit data and one can get an idea of where the votes came and went. There isn't a way to win based upon that data with the pure as the wind driven snow conservative vote. A coalition is necessary

[Mo1]

Correction .. over 800 posts ...

Wow this must have been a fun thread .. LOL

[AAABEST]

EEEsh, RBA just informed me you're a chick! God I wish you chicks would take chick screen names, I do this all the time.

Forget everything I said sweetcheeks, you have my apologies.

[Demidog]

He had his facts wrong on Colorado redistricting as I recall. He is not now, and never will be, a major leaguer.

Right. And Bush asked the President of Brasil I believe it was: "You have blacks too?" Luckily, an aid quickly covered for him. Major league.....errrr major league bonehead.

[PhiKapMom]

The best part of this whole thread is about the last 200 posts or less!

I am with you -- I liked the other kitty better too!

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

LOL who did this it is hilarious.

[Texasforever]

I was dead serious. Sharon is a whipped puppy and whines because big bad old Bush does not allow him to defend his country. Hell Bush and this country are the only friends that poor sliver of land has in this entire world. Watch how hard you bite the hand that feeds you. BTW nice picture, I guess you have this thing about using your wife as a trophy.

[Jim Scott]

Your familiarity with English seems to be as tenuous as your grasp of politics. Why am I not surprised?