Posted on 05/17/2008 2:03:48 AM PDT by MartinaMisc
It was fun while it lasted.
The guaranteed election of a non-conservative President on November 4th represents the end of the conservative movement in America. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain stands for Reagan principles in any way, shape, manner or form—and after twenty years of non-conservative Presidents, it’s obvious that the Reagan era will never, ever return.
The conservative movement has been in the hospital for nearly two decades. Once George H. W. Bush—a good, moral man, but not a true conservative—entered the White House, conservative principles slowly but surely began to leave. Yes, he gave us a victory in the Gulf War and Clarence Thomas, but he also gave us a broken no-new-taxes promise and David Souter. Bush was more Rockefeller than Goldwater, during a time when America and the world needed more of the latter and less of the former.
Bill Clinton replaced Bush in 1993 and, during his eight years in office, stole certain conservative concepts (NAFTA, welfare reform) and destroyed others (judicial restraint, the rule of law). Clinton moved the country in a secular direction, helping to make the 1990s as culturally loose as the 1980s were culturally traditional. Clinton also seemed obsessed with, among other things, promoting the notion that the Reagan era was a fluke, and that (despite his famous 1996 claim) big government was a permanent reality.
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
“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.
Boo hoo. Every so often, history allows a movement to really assert itself. It either succeeds or it fails. I know I’m shedding no tears.
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?
McCain Supports higher taxes for “the rich fat cats”
Supports Roe v. Wade
Opposes First Amendment
Loves Global Warming Hoax
Loves government involvement in health care only slightly less than the DEMS.
No matter who wins, a victory for Liberalism
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.
No, I think it was the Russians that bombed Pearl Harbor.
DITTO
I thought WE bombed Pearl Harbor (according to Rev. Jeremiah Wright).
I heard it was the Chinese
How? I don't see it. McCain's election can only come about with support of liberals. They will expect a return and they will get it with a truly liberal congress. The destruction of society will be blamed on McCain unless he vetoes every bill put before him.
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.
Maybe it was the Poles they thought they were hitting the Philpinos.
Meanwhile, nobody of any real influence is talking about small government. Lots of people want it, but there’s nobody in high level leadership to represent the idea.
I expect that voice to be unified and distilled over the next few years. There are mny Ron Paul signs still out on lawns, we’ll see what happens with those disaffected people. Hopefully small government advocates can coalesce into a force once again.
Try Atlanta. you Will like the weather and you will find a great cultural world that will fulfill you goth and Urban needs as well as your Conservative sides.
“Meanwhile, nobody of any real influence is talking about small government. Lots of people want it, but there’s nobody in high level leadership to represent the idea.”
We can’t talk abou tit we ahve no credibility on the subject. the only way it can be brought back into the world of debate is by winning an election (on other issues) and then doing it.
“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
“1941”... Belushi?
LLS
What country is that? I can’ think of one on this planet that isn’t PC except maybe Australia.
Exactly, Conservatism is nowhere near finished because our ideas are Mainstream America’s Ideas, what does happen is Clarity is lost and others shoe horn themselves into the picture.
Pablum such as “Big Government Conservatism” a DC creation by any metric, has suctioned itself to our movement, a few years of the coming Dhimmi Nirvana, coupled with our ideas being sharpened due to that, and we will re-emerge.
“We” have no credibility? No, the current crop of political whores and liberals running the GOP have no credibility.
Personally, I’m done with those leftits. I’m looking for a new political organization to join, one who will represent the conservative movement. The GOP ain’t it.
“liberals running the GOP”
I don’t think they are liberal I view them as back stabber republican’s. they certainly would not fit in at the Daly Kos.
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.
“...If this is our icon we will be in the wilderness for a long time.”
Having a need for icons is something people should learn to grow out of. “Mama, don’t let your baby’s grow up to be icons...”
Conservatism will never die. It's philosophy is grounded in history going all the way back to the Old Testament. It's roots crawl thoughout history and a bunch of American hating nihilists are not going to destroy it.
When will the libertarian movement start?
Belushi - Animal House
If you compare them to the raging nutcases at Daily Kos, of course they’re going to look less liberal.
We’ve had the line of scrimmage moved ever leftward for decades now. We’re reduced to defending the Bush tax cuts, (a pittance!) when we should be talking about eliminating the IRS. We sit around and defend NCLB, when the government shouldn’t even be a participant in education!
See my point? The GOP is the Dem party of the 70s. In 20 years, will Republicans sound like the Daily Kos bolsheviks of today?
No thanks, include me out. I WANT SMALL GOVERNMENT.
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.
The GOP is the Dem party of the 70s. In 20 years, will Republicans sound like the Daily Kos bolsheviks of today?
Meanwhile, the Dems are running conservative candidates where they have to. If we forced the GOP to run conservatives by not accepting less we could still make incremental gains.
I am in Slovakia...No PC crap here... On top of that, I see more beautiful girls in one hour then I see in one year back in the US :P Great living here.
I was in Israel a few years back and could not believe how many beautiful women were walking around in uniform. There were ten’s everywhere. No wonder the Jewish guys want to go back to Israel.
There is plenty of blame to go around within the Republican party for sure. Once the Newt led take-over of Congress was accomplished in 94, the Republicans began almost immediately to squander their opportunity to install private sector solutions to this countries problems such an affordable form of health care. Personally,I think this is going to be the issue that puts Obama over the top in the upcoming election. We can preach all we want to the Great Unwashed about “look at Canada, Britain, etc” but it won't sell to these folks. They are going to have to live the Saturday Night Emergency Room experience on a routine basis before they really understand what they've been sold. Btw, while watching their legislators continue to utilize the private sector for their medical needs (you don't really believe these people (rich and powerful) are going to stand in line with we “regular folks” while waiting for their medical needs do you? ha, ha, ha, now there's a joke)...
Amen Russ! I believe that Conservatism is the natural law of humanity and that once (again) Americans see the perverted sense of governance unveiled by the next Democrat president, they will return to first principles of self determination. I mourn for our country right now, like I mourn for a misguided child. Our culture is acting very immature and we need the adults to act like adults. We must ween our civilization from the corrupt ideals of the 60’s. When that occurs, we stand a better chance of returning to the ideals of greatness and leadership.
The GOP, even while having the edge in Congress and holding the White House, was too weak to eliminate the Natl Endowment for the Arts, NPR, or the waste of the Dept of Education, just to name a few. In the midst of gridlock and the inability to do anything significant, like fixing SS or immigration issues, a handful of greedy slobs broke the bank with selfish earmarks and waste. They all took turns robbing the federal treasury withthe exception of only a few like Jim DeMint or Norm Coleman. Now things will have to get much worse before they ever get better. My only hope is McCain chooses a strong conservative VP, wins, stays 1 term, and the conservative prevails. Not a high probability of this scenario happening.
You can't discredit a philosophy that has no integrity. You might as well embarrass a brick.
Well, when the ship goes down, (and it will), find something that still floats. Its not much (yet), but if you want a safe “raft” shared by real conservatives, check out Falconparty.com. Interesting anyway.
“..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.
Same Here.
Unfortunately, every time someone brings up the Constitution and shrinking the Federal Government to the size and scope the founders intended they get branded as a 'nutcase'--by BOTH parties.
No way the MSM is going to give them airtime, either--it would make TPTB look bad if the idea ever caught on.
>>>>Meanwhile, nobody of any real influence is talking about small government.
Newt is. He’s the only true conservative out there.
But we have a peanut gallery of no-nothings and Neanderthals with a visceral hatred for Newt coupled with no understanding of his positions, beliefs, or even his alleged “behavior.”
There are a few more, but the venal hatred of Newt in this forum is mind boggling.
The man is not prefect, but certainly is just about the smartest, most prescient voice in the conservative movement, or what's left of it.
“Conservatism will never die. It’s philosophy is grounded in history going all the way back to the Old Testament. It’s roots crawl thoughout history and a bunch of American hating nihilists are not going to destroy it.”
Well said.
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.
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