What It Means to be a Conservative

National Review Online ^ | 04/15/07 | Mark Levin

[SE Mom]

touched on this in an earlier post, but I'm disheartened by conservatives who continue to lecture that we must ignore serious defects in a Republican candidate's record. Conservatism is about more than tax cuts and the war on terrorism, it's about more than abortion and illegal immigration. These are certainly important policy aspects of conservatism. But conservatism is about a way of life, a way of governing, and a way of bettering society. When a pundit or candidate demands that conservatives limit their critical thinking to one or two subjects or positions, that's self-serving. They're usually putting their own political preferences and motivations ahead of serious analysis. That's not to say that a candidate must be a "perfect" conservative, as there is no such thing. But a candidate who has a long record of rejecting fundamentally conservative principles — such as those protected by the Bill of Rights (from free political speech and gun ownership to property rights and federalism) — or pandering to populist demands with big-government solutions, can't logically be said to be a conservative. That doesn't mean he's a bad person or doesn't have intriguing things to say or recommend him, but he's not a conservative. And now is the time for conservatives to think and act like conservatives, rather than Republican committeemen. If we don’t, then the Republican party and the movement will suffer more setbacks.

There's a vacuum in the conservative movement, certainly at the political level, because the last two Republican presidents have been largely centrist Republicans who've viewed conservatives skeptically. They've done some conservative things, but they've never nurtured the movement, let alone adopted it. They've rarely used the presidential pulpit or the machinery of the Republican Party to teach and promote conservative principles, as Ronald Reagan did almost every time he spoke.

[outofstyle]

Goldwater planted the seeds. But Reagan really created the broad functional coalition called the “conservative movement. He held it together because of his skill and his commitment. Yes he was pro life and pro second amendment. However, he was smart enough never to push these issues so far that it undermined the movement as a whole. It is called politics.

[Rick_Michael]

“Thank God a REAL conservative owns this website”

I don’t think anyone would come here if he wasn’t.

[TAdams8591]

"They've rarely used the presidential pulpit or the machinery of the Republican Party to teach and promote conservative principles, as Ronald Reagan did almost every time he spoke."

That is so true, I've said it myself and one of the many things that amazed me about Reagan.

[Wait4Truth]

Thank you! I have XP so not sure what the problem is. I’ll let you know how I make out! I appreciate your help.

[Rick_Michael]

No one issue trumps the other, unless world war 3 is in action....which it isn’t no matter what people say.

[SE Mom]

Mark goes on to say after his remark about Reagan:

...Yet, most conservatives have supported both presidents and the Republican party throughout, which I attribute in significant part to the detestable nature of their political adversaries. It’s important to defend an incumbent, lame-duck Republican president against the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Moveon.org. After all, we want to win this war and they don’t. But we must not lose sight of our principles as we prepare to select another president..

[TAdams8591]

Good points by Mark! : )

[RJL]

Bump

[MaestroLC]

Great post, Mark!

Truth is truth. Reagan led a movement, while rest have merely led a party. We need a conservative movement leader. It is time to get beck to conservative roots.

[Condor51]

Your Welcome. And doing a uninstall- reinstall should work for you. My version 9 works fine after I reinstalled it.

[GSlob]

Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamored of the existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.
Ambrose Bierce.
While "conservatism is about a way of life, a way of governing..." - it is most emphatically NOT about "bettering society", for all the bloodbaths in history were done as attempts at just such utopian "bettering". Thus Mark Levin could not have been more wrong on this account even if he wanted to be. As a way of life, conservatism is about personal responsibility - and by extension about the absence of such responsibility for others [thus "ef them" is a profoundly conservative motto]. As a way of governing - it is about the minimalist governance along more or less libertarian lines. And as for "bettering society' - let that society better itself, just as its members might, without external input, by their own efforts.

[R.W.Ratikal]

Being a conservtive means never having to say you’re serious.

[oneamericanvoice]

Ping!

Mark Levin is “The Great One” for a reason!

[holdonnow]

Oh well, there goes the Declaration of Independence. The defect in your argument is that you assume bettering society involves socialism, etc. Defending capitalism, the Bill of Rights, national security, and on and on, create a better society.

[Conservative4Ever]

Mr. C4E and I were listening to Reagan’s speeches last night. They were clear, concise and from the heart. Reagan clearly loved America and knew freedom was for everyone. Recently on a Sunday talk show Fred Thompson was asked what he thought about Roe v Wade. His reply...it is just bad law. That blew me away. No rhetoric, no pontificating...clear simple concise, and more importantly..the truth. It is bad law. How I wish more statesmen were that truthful.

[SE Mom]

I can’t speak for Mark, obviously...but it seems from another reading of his piece, the phrase “and a way of bettering society” reflects on the natural results of conservatism, not an attempt to manipulate the masses as liberals would like..

Just my reading...

[Conservative4Ever]

I am so glad Mark Levin is on XM radio so I can listen. I think it is a rebroadcast, but rerun Levin is better than no Levin.

[GSlob]

I simply take the conservative motto “ef them”, referred to above, and apply it to the society. Defending individualism does indeed create a better society, but VERY indirectly.

[SE Mom]

Please see # 36

[Conservative4Ever]

We need a conservative movement leader. It is time to get beck to conservative roots.

EXACTLY!!!