Palin, the Base, and the Northeast Corridor Conservatives

American Thinker ^ | September 18, 2008 | J.R. Dunn

[Citizen Blade]

Bit over the top. Simpler explanation is that the GOP, over the past decade, has embraced the values and views of the evangelical south. Hence why those who view that culture as alien and don’t put much worth into “faith” and “shes one of us” idolizations are disgusted with the Palin pick. She has more in common with the blue collar values voters (who now ARE the GOP) than those who exist outside of that universe.

That's a good analysis. I'm an urban, educated, agnostic conservative living in DC. I prefer soccer over NASCAR and I have not darkened the door of a church in years. Honestly, I have very little in common, culturally, with the Southern evangelicals who now seem to make up the bulk of the GOP.

I'm a McCain fan because he hits on my most important issue- defense, while at the same time showing little interest in the social issues that seem to drive much of the discussion in the GOP these days.

I like Palin because she is clearly a fiscal conservative and I haven't really seen anything so far that makes me think she is a member of the "Talibornagain" wing of the party.

[meadsjn]

Bump for an excellent article.

[mondonico]

“Excellent article. As a northeastern Conservative who went to school with some of these elitist Conservatives, I know them all too well. Can we say...Mr. Kristol, Mr. Brooks? They are out of touch and far more concerned with social acceptance than reporting on the real mood of the nation.”

Spooky - I was going to post something similar. I don’t know Kristol and Brooks, but I am surrounded by and generally disgusted with elitists of all political stripes. The “conservative” elitists go out of their way to proclaim that they are only “fiscally” conservative (and socially liberal).

“Elite” and “elitist” are of course different things. There are many more non-elite elitists (those who worship elite credentials, even if they don’t have them) than there are non-elitist elites (who have elite credentials but don’t think that such credentials make them better, smarter, or wiser than those who had different opportunities or went a different root).

GO PALIN

-mondonico (Yale 1985, currently on the Acela Express southbound to DC)

[Gumdrop]

Both Krauthammer and Noonen have long since grown to respect Palin’s political skills and knowledge.

David Brooks, however, just wants to be liked in the elitist groups that he parties with.

[maica]

And for the record, this Northeastern (sub)urban conservative thinks Palin was an awesome pick.

#####

You are obviously not part of the ‘elite’ being written about in this article. You are in the category of “regular folks.”
So am I - we happen to live above the Mason-Dixon line but do not align with Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Christie Todd Whitman, just to name a few of my own sex.

[happygrl]

Outstanding !

(Take that, Peggy Noonan !)

I don't know who the other reference pertains to.

[GOPJ]

The Northeastern urban conservatives must find some way to connect with the rest of the country. If not, they’ll end up much like the “conservatism” expressed by Andrew Sullivan (whose main outlet, it should be noted, is a European paper) – obsessive, strange, and isolated, existing in dream world with no connection or influence to anything else.

We must wish them luck. They have much to offer. But we can’t wait for time to finish working on them. We have too much to do -- an election to win, a world to reform... and don’t forget the occasional snowmobile race, either.

We have become what the dems tried to pretend being but are not - we're (Republicans) the PARTY OF THE PEOPLE!

[rmlew]

That’s it. We are not disaffected by the GOP and movement conservatives suddenly sounding like NOW and all but supporting the ERA. No the problem is that we are magically liberal.

[houeto]