It has been said recently that the Republican party is “too far right” (think Arlen Specter). I would vehemently disagree, and say that if we want the GOP to get back to actually BEING the “Grand Old Party,” we need to get back to choosing TRUE conservatives in our electoral processes. The Republican party has alienated myself and scores of others. I no longer consider myself a Republican, but a Conservative.
So what IS a Conservative? Here is my list, and it is by no means comprehensive.
A Conservative is someone who:
- Believes in upholding the Constitution; that, in fact, the Constitution is infallible and the law of the land. Period.
- Values life.
- Values morality.
- Champions small government.
- Promotes free trade.
- Believes in lower taxes.
- Believes you and I are the ones to decide what’s best for us.
- Knows that you and I should keep our money and spend it as we see fit.
- Knows that a handout is not a hand up, and not the way to solve problems.
- Knows keeping the military strong keeps us safe.
- Knows freedom of speech is necessary to a free republic.
- Understands gun ownership is expressly provided for, and critical for a free republic.
- Believes that most government programs do more harm than good.
Now there are more I could add, but the point is we haven’t had one around in awhile. They are an endangered species. I think George Washington was maybe the last one.
I firmly believe that there are two reasons we lost the election. First and foremost, John McCain was NOT a true Conservative: McCain-Feingold is a glaring example. He also said that Obama and Clinton were nice, and we would be OK if one of them won the election. Bless his heart, but I think he lost all his “fight” fighting his gaolers. He couldn’t articulate how he was better than Obama; how he was more conservative and it cost us. Second, if the differences are minor, then why not vote for the guy who could make history. I know some of you don’t believe me, but I heard with my own ears people who wanted to vote for Obama because he “looks like me”, because he was black. I heard them say it. Now I would like to believe that this was a small segment of the population, but I doubt it very much. And, honestly, I don’t fault them for that too much. If the conservative had been black, I would have been so excited to throw my vote in his corner; to make history.
It was assumed from my last post, that I was a Bush fan, and that now, it was my turn to whine. Well guess what? I did vote for Bush…Could you IMAGINE how badly things would have gone with either Gore OR Kerry at the helm? I shudder to think
But Bush let us down. I still think he’s a good man, but he blew it, and blew it big time. I’m not talking the Iraq war, Saddam Hussein was a meanace, and a harborer of terrorists; he had ignored SIXTEEN UN resolutions. Why have a UN, and Resolutions if we aren’t going to enforce them??
But I digress.
Bush gave us the Perscription Drug plan and No Child Left Behind, two examples of his enlargement of the government behemoth. These have no Constitutional basis. He was not a Conservative.
So who is? That remains to be seen, but one thing we have to make sure of, is that whoever it is has a great love of the Constitution and believes in the infallability of it. We can no longer afford to say that something is “no big deal.” We have to look at everything through the lens of the Constitution and there will either be a basis for it or not. We have to make sure that whoever is elected counts states rights as a top priority.
Moderates need not apply.
