The Anchoress has what I think is a pretty good look back at the Bush presidency, meanwhile over at Ace of Spades the BDS is in full swing.
Reading people like Bart, BC and Entropy over at Ace's along with recent comments by Rush Limbaugh and others such as Michelle Malkin and Kirby Wilbur of KFI (although I haven't listened to him in about 2 months now) make me glad that I identify as a Republican first conservative second.
I am as conservative as they come, but unlike those I listed above I don't see conservatism as a movement. I see it as a philosophy. Movements are an attempt to coerce others to believe like you do, "look at all the strength we have, join up with us or you'll be sorry". A philosophy is the way you live your own life and an attempt to persuade others. Conservatives have apparently moved beyond persuassion in their insistence that everyone believe as they do or they are unworthy of even basic respect and while President Bush has made some mistakes he is still worthy of that respect.
Bush, Politics, Conservatism
1 comment:
Chad, I don't read the Ace of Spades very often but will try to do it more. Therefore, I don't know what they said nor do I have time at the moment to read them.
But I have to ask this: How can you claim to be "as conservative as they come..." and really say you're a Republican first? I like to think I am as conservative as they come too, and I am. But I only identify as a Republican because there is no Conservative Party.
I believe conservatism is both a philosophy and a movement. Don't all movements start as a philosophy? And, you're right, both want to convince others that they ARE THE WAY.
But here is what I think you're missing, IMHO. Rush and Michelle, et al, ARE NOT bashing Republicans. They are trying to keep certain Republicans (and the MSM) from two things:
1) having anyone redefine conservatism. Any dilution to what we think it is will alter the philosophy and derail the movement. And,
2) allowing people like McCain and others to claim to be conservative and thus carry the conservative banner. They may have certain conservative beliefs but their core system is not conservative.
I cannot say anthing about the Ace folks you mentioned, or Kirby...but I've not ever heard Rush or Michelle bash either Bush or Republicans as a whole. The only thing I've ever heard them do is what I said above...try to keep conservatism from being hijacked and redefined by certain Republicans.
We conservatives know that Bush is not conservative. And he has done a few things I vehemently disagree with as a conservative (among them, his stance on immigration, the medicacare/medicaid bill and the No Child Left Behind legislation he let Ted Kennedy author). However, I believe he has done WAY more good things for this country than things that piss off conservatives. And remember, he pisses off Dems and libs way more than us.
He has my utmost respect!
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