Comments on: Back to real conservatism

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:25:52 +0000

Does the Heritage Foundation refllect true Conservatism?

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:42:10 +0000

Thanks, Emil. I just followed your link (while having a sub at the Three Aces on Mass Ave), and posted Conservarive rundown. Very interesting to see what's happening on the thoughtful edge of The Right.

By: Emil Sotirov

Emil Sotirov — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:46:47 +0000

Francis Fukuyama endorses Barack Obama... need we say more.

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:21:17 +0000

RightinMissouri, all votes made outside of doctrine are sets of compromises. Read Emil’s comment above. It’s an insightful one, and I think he’s right.

I’ll yell as loud as anybody if Obama pushes the Fairness Doctrine.

I doubt he’ll do much of anything to make personal freedom better or worse than it is now.

And I don’t expect him to mess up the military. If anything I expect the reverse. Bush has mismanaged and misapplied our military from Day One, when he and Rumsfeld started elevating sycophants and flushing out competent leaders who might disagree with them.

As for Bob Barr, I remember him too well as a crusading religious nut when he served as a Republican.

By: RightinMissouri

RightinMissouri — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:36:07 +0000

How can one take your opinion seriously?
This statement is a total oxymoron…
You state “I’ll vote for Obama this time, not just for the candidate but to oppose McCain, and especially Palin.) But I’ll be watching to see if the Grand Old Party rediscovers its roots — in personal freedom, minimal government, responsible economic policies and other solid sensibilities.
Any vote for an Obama presidency is a vote for additional clamping down on personal freedom with the fairness doctrine, expanded government trough socialized medicine, economic policies that expand socialism and sensibilities like weakening our military?
At least if you said you were voting for Bob Barr you would be making some sense with your argument.
I believe you cannot see the forest for the trees….

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:29:37 +0000

Jonathan, if Rush is the trunk of the party, woe is them. It's way too narrow to support a majority, which was the point of that poll. The Republican core -- the "base" to which McCain and Palin have been playing -- isn't the GOP of Lincoln, Coolidge, Goldwater, or even of Nixon, Reagan and Bush the Elder. And it's getting smaller and smaller as moderates, old-fashioned conservatives and other marginals get rubbed off by abrasives in the AM radio echo chamber. Really, go read Rush's site. Nothing but mockery and demonization of Liberals, Obama, Socialism, and other fixtures on his enemies list. If this is the heart of the GOP, it's due for a coronary. Like, next Tuesday. Bonus link.

By: Doc Searls

Doc Searls — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:19:58 +0000

As a side note, and a corollary to what Dave’s saying about the DNC, is this interesting observation: Democrats are embracing the flag again. Obama seems always to be standing in front of one, or wearing one. Here in Massachusetts, the blue-est state in the country, they take patriotism seriously. Some people have the flag out year-round, and hang bunting on their porches. Now the rest of the party is following.

By: Dave Winer

Dave Winer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:40:09 +0000

These are the values of the Democratic Party these days. It was amazing to see at the DNC in Denver this year the biggest applause lines were those that talked about standing up for the Constitution after it’s been so poorly looked after by Republicans (and CLinton I might add didn’t do such a great job either).

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:33:52 +0000

I’m a lifelong conservative and a Republican. My very first vote in a general election was for Ronald Reagan in 1980. A few days ago I cast my first vote for a Democratic presidential nominee: Barack Obama.

It’s my opinion that the changes in the GOP that you have cited and that we have all witnessed, took place when the party melded with the “Moral Majority”, Christian Coalition, etc.

It is these religious nutbags who have hijacked our political system and the GOP for their own agenda; and it has nothing to do with real conservative politics.

Political parties do become extinct from time to time. Consider the fate of the Whigs. I’m hopeful that the same thing happens to the GOP so that real conservatism can begin fresh and anew.

By: jonathan peterson

jonathan peterson — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:30:07 +0000

From your own poll of Republicans:
- Over three-quarters of Republicans say Palin was good choice
- Two-thirds of Republicans say McCain has not been aggressive enough

Living down here in Jesusistan, I can tell you the GOP’s “core” believes that speaking English correctly and basing policies on cost/benefit analysis and the opinions of experts is elitist.

These people really believe that the reason they are losing is because of the “liberal media” supporting Obama, not because they’ve spent 8 years supporting an incompetent and calling those who dare question him terrorist sympathizers.

I’m afraid that Limbaugh now represents the trunk of the party.