Below is an excellent article about how conservatives cower, flinch and backdown when called names by the Left (and we need to knock that off) and more.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/07/the_education_of_a_compassionate_conservative.html
“National Review editor Rich Lowry doesn’t seem to care much for Texas Governor Rick Perry. In a recent essay entitled “The Rise of Uncompassionate Conservatism” Lowry admonishes Gov. Perry for “stomping all over [compassionate conservatism] with cowboy boots emblazoned with the words ‘Freedom’ and ‘Liberty.’” Lowry, who considers Gov. Perry the “Republican noncandidate flavor of the week,” aches for the luminous days when George Bush won over “the center as well as the right” with his signature insight into the wonders of compassionate conservatism.
For Lowry, Gov. Perry’s “unadulterated doctrine” only appeals to the “doctrinaire” and simply proves that Perry has “been spending too much time at Federalist Society seminars.” So instead of educating his readers concerning the false dichotomy between being a compassionate conservative and being, well, Rick Perry, Lowry’s commentary only proves that he, like Bush, has swallowed to some extent that most ingenious of all leftist philosophical creations: that “compassion” can most effectively be sold as an organized, planned government thingy......”
Do you think so? It's hard to tell. It doesn't look so black and white to me as it does to Ed the blogger.
I don't get the impression that Lowry's 100% on the Bush side of things for "compassionate conservatism" and against Rick Perry. Lowry sees that the Bush era is already over, but doesn't quite know what to make of Perry. Maybe "bemused" or "befuddled" or "perplexed" might describe his state of mind more than "hostile" or "opposed" or "critical."
What I get out of this -- or what I bring to this -- is that politicians can really surprise or disappoint you. What went for Bush, will go for Perry as well: he won't be quite what people expect him to be. I think Lowry sees things in the same light. Ed Kainz seems like a very intelligent guy, but it looks like he hasn't learned that lesson.