"Neo", "Paleo", "Mainstream", "Social", "Fiscal", etc...what's it all MEAN?
We are, to put it bluntly, Balkanizing ourselves. Look at how, after the basic meaning of the terms was explained on this thread, people attempted to figure out what THEY were...to find out what GROUP they belonged to, and presumably what group to oppose. ANYTIME someone comes up with "categories" within groups of people, this foolishness happens. Witness also, how some have begun using the name of another's group as a perjorative...as a SLUR.
Ask yourselves, does this splintering of the conservative movement help it to achieve its OVERALL goals? And if not, then just WHOM does it help?
I think we all know the answer to that. And it's NOT pretty.
This petty, tribal bickering serves no one except those we are ALL allegedly against. Notice how THEIR side always comes together when it counts? And that's such disparate groups as unions and greens, Southern pols and yankee hacks, lawyers and, well, OTHER lawyers. No matter, they ALL work for the COMMON goals they all share, and worry about the rest later. We should take a lesson.
A cursory look at the last two decades will show that most losses by conservative candidates were caused by a splintering of the BASE..."Oh, I won't vote for him, even though we agree on 90% of the issues, he doesn't talk about XXX so screw him"; "Those Neos are taking over! they didn't nominate a Paleo, so it's WWE "Smackdown!" for me on Election Day...". I could go on, but you get the point.
I would caution all and sunder to regard with GREAT suspicion anyone promoting such Balkanization of our ranks, ESPECIALLY this close to a crucial, nail-biting election. We've come too far as a movement to blast it all to Hell just to do EXACTLY what the Dims do...break people into GROUPS, rather than INDIVIDUALS.
Watch out for those who sling their terms around like the racial slurs of old. Check the motives of someone who claims that a known, loyal, and comitted conservative voter or candidate is a "socialist". And, as always, beware those whose rhetoric gets too thick, too savage, towards their OWN.
This is the reality - our country is so evenly divided ideologically right now that only a few votes can mean a LOT. This situation developed partly because of that "we eat our own" attitude someone mentioned earlier. We have not the luxury right now of dividing ourselves...this is best done AFTER a victory, not before, unless the victory be the enemy's.
Too much of the "All-or-Nothing" attitude will get us ALL nothing, save total Leftist control.
Please, consider this.
