The Right Kind of Hand Up (A Conservative Manifesto?)

Washington Post ^ | 19 November 2007 | Douglas J. Besharov

[shrinkermd]

The author posits these as the necessary 6 conservative principles:

1. A preference for limited government

2. A desire to means-test or otherwise target government benefits

3. A concern about the behavioral consequences of assistance. Conservatives believe that no-strings-attached assistance has often been a catastrophe -- creating even more dependency and a fertile ground for social problems

4. A deference to mediating institutions. Everyone seems eager to harness family, church and other voluntary associations

5. Respect for private choice, often in the form of markets.

6. Humility bred from disappointing experiences -- and the likelihood of unintended consequences.

...When a problem seems bad enough, people often want to "do something," whether or not it is unproven or unlikely to succeed. Being conservative sometimes means seeing problems and deciding that nothing can be done -- at least not immediately. (That should not be the end of the inquiry. Being conservative includes a commitment to experimentation -- even with ideas with which one does not agree -- coupled with rigorous and honest evaluation.)

[shrinkermd]

Douglas J. Besharov, a scholar at theAmerican Enterprise Instituteand a professor at theUniversity of Maryland School of Public Policy, was the first director of the U.S. National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.

I am surprised the author did not credit Russell Kirk who had ten principles of conservativism everyone should be aware of. The URL is: HERE.

[JamesP81]

I’ve considered writing down what traits a presidential candidate for the GOP should have that would be in line with what the Founders would’ve approved of. Maybe I should get on that, because I’ve yet to see a good, unified listing of conservative ideology that was actually conservative.

[MNJohnnie]

The problem is one of definition of terms. Too many people are claiming their own personal opinions as defining what is “Conservative

Based on the doctrine of “true Conservatism” as defined by various Talk Radio Hosts and Freeper 100%ers these days, Ronald Reagan does not qualify under their definition of what is a "Conservative:!

[wastedyears]

Have you heard of Duncan Hunter?

[JamesP81]

At the risk of committing FR heresy, I’m increasingly not identifying myself as a conservative, but as a constitutional originalist, I guess you could say. I think that the ideas of the Founders are sound and just as relevant today as they were in the 18th century, but I think very few people (conservative and otherwise) have any knowledge of the Founders. A good articulation of their beliefs and philosophies about society and government might be eye opening to the average Joe. Or it might piss the average Joe off. I’m of the belief these days that Jefferson, Madison, Washington, or any of the other revolutionaries simply could not get elected. They’d likely be considered insane.

[Kevmo]

Good enough place to bump this thread.

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Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
Posted on 11/15/2007 3:43:17 AM PST by Kevmo