Posted on 01/11/2012 5:39:31 PM PST by Josh Painter
Now is the time for midcourse corrections to ensure the success of the conservative movement, as well as the American experiment. With that mission in mind, I would like to make a few suggestions of my own.
Intellectual conservatism was once defined by two clear goals - the defeat of communism and the reduction in the size, scope and sweep of government. There are three observations I’d like to make about this conservatism.
First, it was conservatism with a purpose. The goal of consigning communism to the ash heap of history was to eliminate oppression, increase liberty, and spread democracy. Similarly, limiting government’s scope wasn’t just about making the budget smaller or closing some departments, it was about the expansion of the unlimited potential of people.
Second, it was conservatism with definable objectives. We could tell whether or not communism was eliminated and government reduced.
Third, it was conservatism of hope. For many decades, the Cold War seemed to grow hotter while America’s morale fell lower. But we never gave up. We never stopped believing in the rightness of our cause.
While purpose, objective and hope have been the hallmarks of conservatism’s past, they also should be the defining characteristics of conservatism’s future. What I call “Compassionate Conservatism” has something unique to offer to the shaping of our future.
Compassionate Conservatism relies on healthy families, freedom of faith, a vibrant civil society, a proper understanding of the individual and a focused government to achieve noble purposes through definable objectives which offers hope to all.
There are four cornerstones to compassionate conservatism....
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
If there is a winner between a ‘sound byte’ campaign and a ‘detailed’ campaign, the ‘sound byte’ always wins.
The Dems have gotten much traction by painting the Republicans as ‘mean people’. Howard Dean on Kudlow, used the phrase several times. That’s how they win votes, boiling it down to a playground level.
Just as Katrina has seared American poverty into our moral consciousness, AIDS has seared Africa into our moral vision. Caring for the sick and dying in Africa now is morally right, as well as geopolitically prudent; if we don’t help, someone else will and that someone else may not be friendly to our interests. We need to embrace the challenge to dedicate a larger percentage of our GDP to foreign aid, while encouraging more international trade with developing countries. History will judge us not by what we say but what we do. Yes, this agenda will require a role for government that some conservatives find disquieting. But that is a discomfort worth confronting.
Well, he's confronting it now. I wonder if conservatives still find it disquieting. I do.
I find Santorum's excuse for big government in the name of compassion disquieting. Way to spoil a comment, huh.
Santorum will make a great veep to Newt. And later, president.
Thanks for this time slice on Santorum. Great idea!
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