Conservatives just can't handle the truth about their repudiation
By David Neiwert Friday Nov 21, 2008 11:00am
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council was out repeating the nonsensical yet much-repeated "America is a center-right country" meme for CNN's Lou Dobbs program Wednesday, and he added something of a new twist:
I think there is a strategy that's going to be going forward for the conservative movement. I think many in the conservative movement, if you will, believe that the Republican Party took over the conservative movement and kind of ran it off the road. And, uh, conservatives are ready to take back control of the conservative movement, and if the Republican Party wants to be a governing party, as it has been in the past, then it's going to have to return to those conservative principles.
I think most people -- Republicans like Kathleen Parker included -- see it the other way around: the Republican Party was taken over by the conservative movement. One upon a time, the GOP actually was home to genuine moderates like Lowell Weicker and John Chafee; but ever since Ronald Reagan's ascension in the late 1970s, it gradually become a wholly owned subsidiary of the conservative movement.
Certainly, nearly every step taken by George W. Bush during his tenure had the movement's ardent support -- until, that is, it became self-evident to everyone but the 20-percenter kool-aid drinkers that his presidency was an unmitigated disaster for the nation. Now they want to blame that disaster on everyone but the misbegotten philosophy that caused it.
As Digby put it some time ago:
George W. Bush will not achieve a place in the Republican pantheon. Conservatism cannot fail, it can only be failed. (And a conservative can only fail because he is too liberal.)
Now, part of what makes movement conservatives the lovable wingnuts they are is that they are nothing if not spectacularly un-self-aware. They're like people who wear their underwear on their heads and then are puzzled when everyone points and laughs.
So Tony Perkins goes on, while repeating the right's favorite meme, and even admits that Republican governance has been a fiasco:
Look, America is a center-right nation. Barack Obama and the policies he reflects are not reflective of the nation. I think he offered, you know, what he called change, and Americans were ready for change. You know, Republicans have not governed well, and America was looking for a new path, and Barack Obama offered that. Now, his success is going to depend on whether or not he can govern as a moderate, as he campaigned, or whether he is going to be a liberal, as his record would indicate.
In fact, as we've said, nearly every facet of the main causes of the public's repudiation of Bush had to do with his adherence to the principles of movement conservatism, both in its governance:
- Foreign-policy debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- A government that invades nations under false pretenses.
- A nation less secure and at greater risk of terrorist attacks than ever.
- A sinking economy.
- An expanding gap between rich and poor.
- Utter inaction on global warming.
- $5-a-gallon gasoline.
- An unresolved immigration problem.
- An incapacity to deal with natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
- A debacle in public-school education testing and funding.
- Declining food and consumer-product safety standards.
- A government that spies on its own citizens.
- A government that tortures prisoners held in their detention facilities.
And in its politics:
- The absurd impeachment of Bill Clinton in spite of the public's broad disapproval.
- The caricaturization of a future Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore, in the course of foisting a Bush presidency upon an unsuspecting public.
- The relentless campaign to portray anyone dissenting from Bush's post-9/11 war plans as insufficiently patriotic and "soft on terrorism."
- The tireless recourse to a string of "Friedman units" in excusing the interminable extension of the Iraq war.
- The swift-boating of John Kerry.
- The Terri Schiavo fiasco.
- The Graham Frost fiasco.
- The ritual and ongoing demonization of Latinos as criminals, welfare bums, America-hating, job-stealing foreigners.
- The crude dog-whistle campaign run against Obama, depicting him as a terrorist-loving, America-hating, secret Muslim brown man.
- The deeply disturbing way that conservatives acted on this rhetoric: spewing hate, racism, and threatening violence.
In nearly every single one of these instances, movement conservatives pronounced their avid support because they reflected "conservative values" -- and indeed, in a number of them (such as the opposition to gay rights, or inaction on global warming, or the Schiavo matter) they were directly at the behest of movement conservatives, particularly the religious right. You know, Tony Perkins' people.
Mind you, not only does it not do any good to point this out to ideologues like Perkins (and nearly every other Republican in sight), at some point it only makes sense to let them wander off into the political wilderness for a few years. They have it coming.
That's clearly where they're headed, too. Mike Madden has a piece in Salon describing how deeply the party is now embracing movement conservatives' "move to the right" message:
But now [Minority Leader John Boehner] will have to prove his bona fides to a caucus that's clearly hungry to take noble stands on conservative principle. The GOP thinks those are the positions the public wants, anyway; many of the members left in the House Republican caucus are from districts where the more right-wing you are, the bigger your victory margin will be in the next election.
... The party will move even further to the right, and a larger Democratic majority might not need GOP votes on as many issues as they did the last two years. If conservatives are right about what the country really wants -- limited government, lower taxes, and continued deregulation -- their new philosophy could be the path back to Republican power. If not, they might have to get used to being in the minority for a long time.
A Gallup poll yesterday underscored the dilemma. See, for instance, these figures:
As the story notes:
With Bush no longer around to symbolize the Republican Party, the GOP will soon have an opportunity to redefine itself. The initial guidance from rank-and-file Republicans is to tack to the right -- returning to core Republican principles, as many Republican thought leaders are currently advocating. However, with only about a third of independents wanting the party to be more conservative, it is unclear how much that approach might help to expand the Republican base.
This is the problem conservatives face: Their principles -- particularly in their approach to governance and oversight -- were thoroughly repudiated by the voters because of the manifest failures of those principles put into action. So the legitimacy of their movement hinges on denying that. Yet they'll never solve their dilemma until they recognize that reality and come to terms with the whys. Maybe someday they'll figure out that being conservative doesn't require authoritarianism or xenophobia or apocalytpic religious fanaticism.
Meantime, they can blame the horse they rode in on all they like. But it can't change the fact that they were the rider.
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That "center right" talking point is getting old, like the republican party.
We want universal, single-payer healthcare.
We want the end of NAFTA and the exportation of our jobs.
We want religion out of government.
That's what you call PROGRESSIVE thinking, you dumb-asses.
the GOP is only referencing Obama as the exception to their perception. Obama's victory was tremendous, but he was by FAR not the only Democrat to win big on November 4. hell, look beyond the Senate and the House even. look at state elections. look at local elections.
we are not center-right. democrats predominately won, from sheriff to judge to city council to directors of public works to... - all the way up, to president.
I just Googled "America is (remains) a center right country." 2.6 million hits. Talk about flooding the zone.
I think the GOP was always a party for big business, but at least had some good ideas going for it. The downfall I think started with Nixon, by bringing all the racists into the party with the Southern Strategy. Then Regan continued it with drawing in the religious fundamentalists. Essentially they set out to attract the fanatic and uneducated, forming it into a cult of 'conservatism'. It had some of the buzzwords of the old party, like fiscal responsibility, but in practice anything good was actually abandoned. Now the ignorant fanatics have taken over the party, and driven it off the cliff. Anyone with a brain who points out where the party is going wrong is branded a RINO.
Now comes the civil war, where the CEO's with a brain battle the monster of a party they created.
If I have to hear "center right" one more time, I'm going to lose it! Find something else to say you talking heads! Have you ever been around a drunk person who constantly repeats themselves again and again and drives everyone else nuts? Well, that's what you sound like. Give it a rest already!
Please make Sarah Palin go away.That idiotic bubbly nasal sing song voice is grating my brain down like a slab of cheese.
Didn't you ever see the Seinfeld episode about the "BUY MENNEN" jingle? There's a method to their madness. It's a tried and true marketing technique.
I've said this before... But this "center-right" stuff just doesn't make sense on several levels. Isn't the center in the center? This is like saying, "most people are taller than average."
"They're like people who wear their underwear on their heads and then are puzzled when everyone points and laughs."
I'll go you one better:They're like people who deliberately wear their underwear on their heads and then pretend to be puzzled when everyone points and laughs.
What do I mean by this?I have no idea,but I think I'm on to something.
I was curious about responses to the question. How many Dems/Inds do you think said they wanted the GOP to get more conservative because that is likely to help Dems get elected?
No option: "Prefer Republican Party Disappear"
they were taken over by the social conservatives...who arent conservative at all
social conservatives believe in big government...the one that gets into your bedroom and decides who can use the term marriage
they wanna regulate what you watch, listen to and read
they love military intervention, because they believe in a christian jihad
they love fighting the war on xmas
the socalled liberal republicans, who no longer exist believed in big bz and then staying the fuck out of everything else
if the repugs continue on their path, they will be extinct by 2016....of course, so could america
Perkins can point to the ballot initiatives that strips rights from gays and lesbians to make their case. He can, unfortunately, win this argument. Sad, nauseating to me, but true.
"Center right" Hahahahahahaha!! Clowns just got their balls kicked up their collective throats and they still think the Nation is following their tired old exclusionary bullshit. Center right, Obama's a socialist, tax and spend, cut and run, stay the fucking course, yeah, yeah, yeah....all bullshit.
Didn't GW say that you need to repeat the message to "propogate the propoganda"? Well isn't this what they are doing? Say it's center right long enough UNCONTESTED by us and they own th emessage. Then we have to prove it's wrong! We need to start saying show me the proof, not just sit back and let them say it.
By not denying their message the average American thinks it's true.
We also need to get our progressive media talking about the Fairness Doctrine. Beck Hannity and Limbaugh spend at least 1/2 an hour everyday talking about it and scaring the people about it. We are mute on that point as well so when any kind of legislation does come up that talks about honesty on the air waves they'll all be able to say, "see I told you they'd do this!"
Sitting back celebrating Obama's win we end up losing the country.
but yes, that is what he meant. Progressives need to re-learn how to do political theater that the Republicans use so well. Unfortunately, the corporate media will put on the conservative pundit on the TV much more quickly than a liberal one...
Case in point: how many times have you seen Tom Delay on Chris Matthews's show when he isn't even IN Congress anymore?
And the pundits have no credibility! There was a C&L video showing the "Usual Suspects" being paraded around as knowledgeable pundits when all the had was a little "R" by their name.
So we need to call the channels out on their garbage instead of saying, "aww shucks, they did it again, maybe enxt election when we show them they'll learn"
Their trolls are called dittoheads because they repeat and repeat and repeat their message till they actually beleive that its true.
We have discussions, and come to consensus! Having said that, their method may be more "effective" but I do prefer ours!
is holding a news conference on the capitol steps with the signing of a "Contract
onfor America" or staging a walkout on some stinker of a bill that the Republicans bring to the floor. That is what grabs the media attention and makes it to the people. If the Dems did more of it like they used to do when Tip O'neill and others ran the show and stand up more for the American worker the blue collar guys, then Rush Hannity et al, won't have as much power, because then they could see who was strpping up for America and who isn't.except maybe to fix the communications act, which allowed legal monopolies, put people out of work and killed the local radio station
if one corp is allowed to own up to 7 radio stations in a market....there is no choice
the airwaves are supposed to be owned by and serve the people...not the corporations
the vast majority of wingnuts on the air are talentless hacks...they have jobs only because of narrowcasting....music radio is by all intents and purposes dead air...i would hate to be in an up and coming band now...you cant get airplay
really isn't needed, just equal access to the airwaves instead of relegating liberal talk only to stations with weaker signals that have to power down at dark.
A few of 50,000 watt stations instead of Satellite radio which one must pay for or the little stations that have cross talk from a neighboring channel.
I don't think we nee a fairness doctrine. I am saying that they are scaring people that that is what we want! And the people hear that, and no rebuttal of it, so they beleive that the lies must be true.
Am I totally crazy, or didn't Lush Rimjob support the Fairness Doctrine back in the early 90's? I seem to remember that he was for bringing it back because of the need to counter the "liberal bias" that exists in the head of every freaking wingnut you talk to.
before so much de-regulation that allowed for the consolidation of media that Clinton signed into law in... don't quote me on this... 1996? 1998?
and Tony Perkins was one of the ones with his hands at the steering wheel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQkL9LpvKl0
I don't think that the religious right conservatives will understand their repudiation unless and until the so-called Mainstream Media (more appropriately "the Corporate media") quit giving them a forum to speak.
Even after Obama was elected, almost all of the talking head shows had on conservative pundits. When the corporate media start inviting the more progressive pundits onto the media shows instead of the conservatives that are complaining about what the middle class of America thinks (which, by definition, is the real center of the country), then that is when conservatives might start navel gazing and getting a clue.
I won't be holding my breath.
I thought Dobson purged a whole bunch of employees from Focus on the Family??? I guess he didn't start at the top and work down - but I'll bet he could save a lot of cash if he dumped Toe-knee.
Every time I hear the news person say Tony Perkins is on, I expect to see Norman Bates - there is a resemblence, dontcha' think?
Conservatives must either ignore fact or blatantly lie. Their core policies are aggressively anti-populist, and so fact will always lose elections for them.
http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/zogbys-mislea...
someone is gonna get fired
Fiscal Conservatism: REJECTED
Whatever it once meant it is now a meaningless ideological phrase, used only to point out how the conservatives in office don't actually abide by it when they pursue massive, counterproductive defense and weapons budgets (which is also part and parcel of modern American conservatism). To the extent that it entails "smaller government," as Perkins says, it has been rejected. People do not want small government fiscal conservatism --- for the government always to be spending less. They want fiscal responsibility, and for the government's money to be managed properly as it spends on programs we need.
Social Conservatism: Under Reevaluation
Social Conservatism is Cultural Authoritarianism, plain and simple. We have traditions in our culture, and the social conservative wants them enforced by law, individual liberty be damned. Although increasingly marginalized into Know Knothing Knation, the social conservatives are legion, and America has a tendency to embrace it. Even the Democrats kowtow to American authoritarianism. Hopefully, it will be increasingly rejected as time goes on.
Neo-Conservatism: REJECTED
Fascism and imperialism. Flat out rejected by the American people despite the fear mongering.
Perkins is just like the modern Communists who insist that Communism itself has never really been implemented. Something else failed everywhere it was tried. Never will they question whether the ideology cannot be implemented, that it is impossible, and destined to fail. They just chalk it up to the individuals who were put in charge, and who betrayed the ideology.
but boy can they get some air time
I have, thus far, loved every one of your posts, but damn, man, this is the best one yet.
You are AMAZING! Thank you so very, very much for your efforts. I love your posts!!
Thanks much for the kind words, MsJoanne. I've been hoping my work fits in here nicely for the C&L regulars. John, Nicole and Co. and I have written about a lot of the same things over the years, so it's felt like a natural teamup.
It is hard to admit that what you believe is right for the country is rejected by the people, but if you dont change than you will be left in the dust. Change is wanted and needed in this country and Tony just cant stand that fact that he and the rest of his ilk were wrong and if they dont evolve to match what the people want or need than they will go the way of the dinosaur and will not be missed.
Coleman's lead over Franken down to less that 100 votes. Looks like we are going to be even less "center right"!
Conservatards think repudiation is just their reputation being discussed by Sylvester the Cat.
I think Tony Perkins is with the Family Research Council, not Focus on the Family..?
One of the best things about this election is the Christian Taliban has been pushed back in their caves.
You know what? When Obama takes office on January 20th, anything the Republicans say about America being a "center-right" country aren't going to matter worth spit.
Republicans are a dying breed. They are dinosaurs facing extinction. Of course they're going to go down kicking and screaming, unable to face the reality of their situation. They CAN'T change the way they think because it's against their principles! They don't call them fundamentalists for nothing.
Nobody is listening to them anymore. America switched off, changed the channel. A new message of HOPE is resonating across this nation and THEY can cry all they want because the conservative experiment is OVER.
I was watching a BBC documentary on the climate change debate and the most telling moment in the whole series was when the keynote speaker of the climate change denier's conference, a PhD scientist who was one of THE most vocal opponents of climate change, stood up at the podium and said once and for all: "It's time to admit the fact that we were wrong. Climate change is real, folks, and it's time to get over it."
Of course we're waiting for the Republicans to do the same thing, but it ain't gonna happen.
I heard from a friend that when Fox called the election for Obama the studio was empty.
Could they have actually walked out??!!
Ha!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo
Kick these reich wing bastards while their down. Never let them get on their feet again. Grind em in the dirt.
"Social Conservatives" are gradually awakening to the fact that they have been used by the Bush Crime Family -- the Wall Street Republicans -- to rip off the nation.
The Wall Street Republicans only used the "Social Conservatives" to put themselves in power.
And it worked.
The Wal-Mart Republicans are too stupid to figure out the country club Republicans are not looking out after their best interests.
Here's an idea for a book title: "Put personal faith in public policy and we tax your church"
Perkins is just another closet gay hypocrite that hides behind his church of hate, bigotry, racism and then steals money from his very ignorant hateful followers to live on.
He'll be caught tapping toes in a public mens room or smoking meth with a paid male prostitute one of these days.
Let's see, increased majorities in both houses of oongress, a couple of senate seats shy of a filibuster proof majority and a black democrat in the white house by the name of Barrack Hussein Obama.
yea, center right. What do expect from a flat eather who believes the planet was created in 6000 years. Knuckledragging idiot. Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!
The "Conservative Movement" was driven from the top-down by big money interests. From Limbaugh to Fox News to the organizing of evangelicals into a voting block-- it was all run from the top and meant to serve Corporate America's interests.
Your rank-and-file conservative is a *consumer* of the party's message, not an active participant in it.
The notion that the Republican Party "took over" the Conservative Movement is ridiculous. The Conservative Movement was created by the same interests that own the Republican Party.
You hit it right on the head, CA. The sooner we stop being consumer and start being citizens again, the better. The tide is starting to turn...
My family is filled with x- Republicans- most are now Independents or Libertarians...The overall opinion held by moderate Republicans is the radical right wing Christian nuts have taken over the party-
Right wing Christian Republicans have open distain for moderates, and want to drive them out of the party..
Republicans claim they want the government out of our lives, but the right wing Christian Repubicans wants the opposite- they want to force Jesus on all of us (i.e anti abortion and anti gay marriage positions).
Personally, I want the Republicans to go further to the right, because it will diminish their chances of getting back into the White House..
I cannot understand the logic of right wingers who think McCain lost because he was 'too liberal'. A big reason he lost was becase he was too conservative- he pandered to the religious nutcase fringe...
I heard a radio interview with Mike Huckabee this week, and he seemed to suggest Republicans need to make issues of embarcing 'faith' at the forefont of their ideology.
(In other words, demand eveyone worship Jesus)
We left the Republican party after 50 years because of the hypocrisy of the Christian Right, who've taken over the GOP. As Catholic Republicans, we were tolerated because we have influence and money. These Reglgious Fanatics want to take over the Government and legislate their theological beliefs. From first hand experience, we know: if your not Southern Baptist or Evangelicals your considered ignorant, heathern, sinners, lesser humans and tolerated...even if you are a Republican. These denominations preach, from their pulpits, "the Republican Party is anointed of GOD" and anyone who is anything else is demonic, should be shunned and controlled.
In the world today, who are the two radical, fanatical religious groups who want to FORCE and or legislate their theological beliefs on others?
Jesus would NEVER be a Republican! Republicans are too filled with hate toward anyone who isn't exactly like they are.
Of course I don't think He'd be too crazy about the Democratic Party either! Any party that supports illegal war and the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians would be on his shit list.
Same song....same key...same tune....same people...same choir...same people singing...same hate-mongering...same discrimination...same desire to establish a Theocratic nation...which the Southern Baptist and Evangelicals control.
Tony Perkins is taking the spot light on this issue because James Dobson is getting his 100 million hidden off shore and in new accounts before the donations dry up and he has to lay off the other 70% of his staff.
The premise of this post is simply wrong. How can you say that modern republicans (I'm speaking 1998-2008) are embracing the conservative ideology and that's what America is repudiating? You've got it completely twisted and backwards. And the lists you posted are kind of silly in trying to prove your point. Now I agree wholeheartedly that the lists you posted were done by this administration and that they are rather egregious acts. However, they have little if anything to do with the conservative ideology.
Please show me where the conservative ideology (And remember, we are talking about a political spectrum of ideological beliefs when you reference conservatism... not party affiliation) embraces "foreign policy debacles" or "a sinking economy" or "the swift boating of John Kerry" and on and on...? It doesn't and it's absurd to attach it to the ideology instead of the party that's actually doing these things.
In fact, conservatism at it's heart would have had nothing to do with a pre-emptive strike on Iraq. It would have had nothing to do with attacking a war veteran, or sinking the economy or a government program aimed at spying on its own people.
Where are you coming up with this?? It's as if you know nothing of politics at all. I'm very irritated that someone representing my side of the political spectrum (liberal) would be so woefully uninformed and in a position to have a million people read their woefully uninformed post. Even worse, most of the commenters here speak nothing to how inaccurate this post was.
The basis (at least in my view) of associating with the progressive movement, is that we usually use facts to prove our points. Hyperbole goes nowhere.
I'm sorry, we don't just use facts... We use educated, logical arguments that are factually based to prove our points... that works a bit better
Upon re-reading your post, I see you keep referring to the "movement conservatives" instead of merely conservatives. I haven't heard this used before, but I suppose you draw a distinction between those in the "conservative movement" and the conservative ideology? If so, ok but it's an awful fine line your walking... If not, then what I said above would still apply.
It wasn't mentioned in the analysis, but I really believe that the overwhelming number of sexual scandals among Republican politicians frosted a lot of social Conservatives, since they're so desperate to legislate "family values".
If Republicans reject the values issues of the religious right, they'll have nothing remaining. Right now Democrats have a firm grasp on actual issues that affect the American people -- Republicans don't "believe" in government, so they cannot govern, though they certainly are able to "legislate constriction" on peoples' personal lives.
Now if they want to perform political group-suicide, they should continue to stick to modern-day conservative principles (such as meddling in "personal values" issues like abortion, gay marriage, contraception, intruding religion into government, and the remaining panopoly of matters that are so deeply offensive to people who have a Constitutional right to manage their own lives).
I say that they must learn for themselves what Constitutional government is before they blindly try to carry that bloody tattered Republican banner any more.
The Dems did a great job this election -- running on American Values.
"If you work hard & play by the rules you get ahead."
go to Goggle and type in: "Republican Party Sex Scandals" It does not include the last 5 scandals for this fall. Also type in; "Alabama Attorney General Troy King's Sex Scandal". He was McCain's Ala state manager who was elected with 72% of the vote on his "Family Values-God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" platform. Kings anti-gay hate rehoteric and writings made Jerry Falwell look like a kindergartener. Kings wife caught him in THEIR bed with ONE of his Ala Attorney General male Employees and exposed him. This article also hyperlinks you to the double murder of (kings campaign manager) former Ga State GOP leader, Gonzales, his male lover, and their HIRED male prostitute who committed suicide after he killed them in a gay-3-way drug, sex orgy in Orlando last year. The GOP is filled with Gay politicians and leaders.
Without the Fairness Doctrine...the ignorance of the right goes unresponded to.
They fear the Fairness Doctrine as they're own beliefs will be shown to be without any merit at all.
...I heard sean hate-ity say: 'I'm afraid I might lose my job' My responce: 'Sean, don't make me smile big when my lips are chapped.'
The talking heads of the wingnuts to include talk radio think if they repeat the lie over and over people will finally believe its true. But I think people finally are getting the picture.
Google says SEVENTEEN MILLION to be exact.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RAQXg0IdfI
tony
the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!
Or your stupid party. You blew it. you lost. Go away !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I second that!
Anthony Perkins:
the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!the american people don't like you!
Or your stupid party. You blew it. you lost. Go flog your log in the ladies room and take your pedophillic congregation members with you, maybe they'll "score" again!
The American people OVERWHELMINGLY chose Obama and his progressive policies over the tired and failed policies of conservatism. Republicans have been a DISASTER in how they have governed, and I hope that it will be a long time before we have to suffer such a lack of leadership again.
Increasingly I read from real Republicans - not the neoconservative, theocratic clowns who claim to represent the GOP, but good old-fashioned Goldwater types - that the problem with the party is that the social conservatives and the free-market purists have run it into the ditch. Most Americans are NOT concerned about meddling in the personal lives of other people. Most Americans are NOT concerned about criminalizing abortion or denying same-sex couples the right to marry. Most Americans are simply trying to work and earn money to support their families.
People like Tony Perkins who don't have real jobs and don't live in the real world just don't understand what it is like for the rest of us. Perkins lives in a bubble, surrounded by like-thinking, narrow-minded people. He has no clue what real Americans think, need or want.
One day I hope to see a split within the conservative movement, with traditional Republicans retaining the GOP and the theocrat/theofascist wing establishing their own party. (Of course, I'd like to see a split within the Democratic party too. So it is not about destroying a party but rather expanding the options that voters have in terms of which party to support.)
correction* "The tired and failed policies of
conservatismrepublicans"Sorry to keep harping on this, I'm not even a conservative let alone a republican, but I feel it's important that when we discuss things we are accurate in our discussions.
the Republicans overwhelmingly call themselves conservatives. They have co-opted the label for their own purposes. I agree that "conservative" has a non-pejorative meaning, whereas Republicanism has attracted the worst that Americans can be, racists, xenophobes, sexists, homophobes, theocrats -- you know the list, and they are tainted with it.
It seems to me that conservatives with integrity are near extinction, and unless a new generation can resurrect that true integrity and insist on the correct label, the meaning of "conservative" is lost.
You speak the truth -
Yes republicans definitely do call themselves conservatives, but that's a bit disingenuous and used for political gain rather than accuracy. Which sounds exactly like republicans - and quite a few democrats unfortunately.
We can't, though, allow our discussions to be based on what many people say rather than what is actually true. We need to step back from our desire to rid the country of all things 'Bush' and keep the discussions/arguments factually based. In fact, a person who identifies with the conservative side of politics is supposed to be construed as someone who values status quo. Pre-emptive wars would actually correctly be labeled a liberal idea, although not a principle, because it was a new idea aimed at something both ideologies agree with - preservation of the state. Status quo would say we don't do such things, and in saying as much, democrats were taking a rather conservative approach. Now if the argument was, and it often was, that we have no reason to invade Iraq - That it would do us no good, then the argument wouldn't be liberal or conservative, it would merely be a debate about the facts of the argument.
I do understand, to an extent, the morphing of political terms. Liberalism has meant many different things throughout history, as has conservatism. So I suppose I can understand if we want to label conservatism at what is currently being practiced by people associating themselves with conservatism. I don't like doing that, because it allows people to essentially hijack an ideology, but I suppose it does happen. I would much rather refer to Bush's base as Reactionaries and I hope others would too.
I'm sure when Giovanni Aldini attached wires to the groin and jaw of an executed prisoner to a large battery and switched on the juice, he saw a much more realistic rictus.
Conservatism Is Dead!!
This should be the dominant meme, because it's the truth. The lie they try to brainwash America with needs to be exposed and shamed on the mass media.
Liberate people from their money, jobs, homes, self-respect. All so the wealthy predator class can be free to roam the earth in ruin.
Liberal, Conservative; who cares? What people want is common sense over ideology. People want a pragmatic leader. The GOP has been a party of rigid ideologues that don't seem to care what people want. That's their problem. They try to secure enough votes (50 + 1) to dictate, by fear and religion, not to listen and change as needed.
As Bill Clinton said, "Ideologues already have their minds made up. You can't reason with them." And I agree 100%.
unless of course your ideology is that ideologues are bad :)
These right-wing guys remind me of high school when someone got into a fistfight. After they lost the fight, the loser tried to talk everyone into believing that he won the fight, or that he could still kick ass.
I for one, would welcome, nay I would actively support, the clear delineation between ideologies, between conservative policy and progressive policy, and let the public decide. The problem is when one side is losing on the basis of policy, they resort to character assassination, devoid of policy. The good thing for the nation, and the frustrating thing for Fox News Republicans, is that the independent voters did not buy into the un-ending character attacks they were serving. To the end, to the last day, all that Fox News had was Ayers and Wright, and no Economy, no Iraq.
I don't know...but every time that Pilgrim lady is on TV it makes me think I have to go to the eye doctor. If they have to blur the picture so much maybe they ought to just take her off the tv machine.
The right wing is a child, unable to accept they lost they game so they make up a fantasy to soothe their fragile little egos.
this guy sat down for a conversation of about 10 minutes. I don't think he'd be capable of having that conversation without lying. It's so ingrained into them to twist and distort that they're incapable of recognizing reality.
if ever I heard one! You want our conservative vote, you'd better jump on the religious right freaky freight train! Woo Woo! Come on ride the train, hey ride it!
liar, too!
Tony Perkins still using the "Liberal" evil person (alert be scared approach).
Soon Tony Perkins and the religious right will blather things
as,
Liberals are snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.
And,
Conservatives are sugar and spice and everything nice.
Perkins better check to see how many of the religious right flock
has been lost to the truth of the party of Ted Stevens, Larry Craig, Tom Delay, Cheney, Bob Ney, Scooter Libby, Mark Foley and the rest of the greedy criminals.
Tony Perkins epitomizes everything wrong with the GOP today. When the Bush I handlers, including W, talked him into cultivating the religious right, the party took the first step toward making it irrelevant. The evangelicals are a minority, but a very vocal and passionate one. Many of their positions are inimical to democracy. What they're really up to is establishment of a theocracy where Christianity is the official, state-sanctioned religion of the U.S. -- an obvious conflict with the 1st Amendment. (Not that they care about the Constitution: as I write, they're working here locally to shut down our local office of Planned Parenthood, starting with a claque-led protest at City Council to giving any of a state youth grant to that abortion rights organization.)
Bush I courted the evangelicals as useful idiots, throwing them an occasional crumb, such as limits on stem cell research. But it should be obvious that if you give these lunatics an inch, they'll take a mile. The ballot initiatives to change state constitutions to ban same-sex marriage helped equally bigoted GOP pols win elections because they drew the "base" to the polls. The problem is, when you define your base as made up of small but vocal minorities, you limit your appeal to the greater electorate. The GOP has become irrelevant as a result of its willingness to cater to the base.
Perkins and his ilk are bigots, pure and simple. They used fear tactics to win the Prop 8 fight. If you consider the two groups that contributed most to the defeat of gay marriage in California -- Perkins' bunch and the Mormons -- it should be obvious that it was spearheaded by right wing religious fanatics. Perkins is so vehemently anti-gay, one must wonder if he has an ulterior (and perhaps subconscious) motive. If I were you, I'd keep my sons away from him.
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