Nov 10 2008
Can Conservatism Regain Mainstream Support?
For all those who want to ‘reclaim’ conservatism let me give you a little hint – there is no need to ‘claim’ something people are rejecting at the voting booth. Obama won this election because something has soured the mood of the moderate conservatives and the optimistic youth (remember those days folks, where anything was possible?). I am not sure what exactly is the problem because I am of the opinion the problem has been built over years spanning many issues which have chased the voters to the dems.
I can point at some top issues like comprehensive immigration reform which took away a key voting block – Hispanics – when the far right trashed reasonable proposals on border security, temporary work programs, and a long path to citizenship (with back taxes due) for long term illegals. The emotional nativism which leapt out of the far right shocked many allies, no doubt since the initial salvo was a insane call for mass roundup and deportation. From then on the far right was (in my opinion rightfully) seen as nativist trying to find a way to force (either through laws or economic pressures) immigrants out of the nation.
It is no surprise McCain did not get the Hispanic vote – the GOP is not trusted or liked in that community now and McCain cannot honestly claim the nativist of the far right are any less strident in their ’cause’. When someone snidely calls immigration reform ‘amnesty’ (which is also legally wrong – since being an illegal alien is not a felony and therefore should only be punished by a fine and financial restitution) their words are being translated into the image of the mad conservative calling for mass deportation at gun point. People are not stupid, they saw McCain lose big time to the nativists. They know how his party can feel in some corners.
But let me also point to another problem that infected the conservative movement and repulsed a lot of people – the useless and idiotic fight against evolution. When Creationism hit the scene a lot of people where wondering whether conservatism was some sort of cult like Scientology. Intelligent Design I guess was an attempt to back pedal, but the flaw is not in believing in God, the flaw is trying to claim evolution is wrong. It isn’t wrong, it is proven science – just like it is now proven science that the Earth orbits the Sun and not the other way around. A lot of good people were punished and died bringing that little gem of reality to an overly religious human race.
Science does not preclude the hand of God in the secrets of existence that science mines as ‘discoveries’. The same science of evolution and DNA that the right rails against is the one that proves without any doubt that life begins at conception and should be cherished and protected. The same DNA tests used in courts across this country to prove innocence or guilt will show that a human embryo is not part of the mother or father, but that it is a unique human being which, left to explore its own life path, will most likely follow the normal life cycle of embryo, fetus, baby, toddler, child, teenager, etc. Why some people, who would barely pass High School Biology, feel the need to attack evolution as proof of their God is beyond me. But evolution is THE science, with established law, which could end the attempt to harvest these young humans for spare parts.
I come to my respect of life from a Christian beginning, but it’s foundation is secured within the proven facts of science. My respect for life extends beyond just human beings to every creature on this planet. Gaining my BS in Biology normally required sacrificing a lot of animals to classroom exercises, necessary to train the next generation of scientists and doctors. I fought this whenever it was used to emphasize some point in the text. I did not need to sacrifice some animal every day for a week to see how digestion works, I could figure it out.
But I do know life must be sacrificed for medical progress to be made. And one of my biggest arguments with Embryonic Stem Cell Research (besides the fact it is mathematically a millions times harder to achieve success than going the adult stem cell paths – which has been born out by the myriad of therapies out from adult stem cells while nothing has been produced from research on embryonic stem cells) is the fact that there is/was a rule in research to never go to human trials before a procedure was proven in animals.
Everything that needs to be learned to ever hope to unlock some therapies from embryonic stem cells can be worked out on Chimpanzee and other primate embryos first. Why this simple and well established rule of biological and medical research is being bypassed had me confounded until I realized the inability to trademark and profit from human DNA does not apply to embryos, since they are not legally considered ‘human beings’ yet. Greed to make profits has once again led people to kill other humans, history repeats.
The fact is embryonic research should be limited to primate research until the proponents can show they can control the genetic code and translations required to transform the cells into a therapy (right now they produce chaos and cancers). Therapies proven in primates should be the gate prior to destroying human beings. Adult stem cell research doesn’t destroy the human being who provides the stem cells (which include skin, cells found in bone marrow and umbilical cord blood).  People need to peruse my posts on this subject to see the broad range of adult stem therapies now in progress. And people need to know that right now there is no need to harvest embryos at all for stem cells since adult stem cells (skin cells) can now produce unlimited supplies!
Evolution is the science that will provide a legal basis to ban embryonic stem cells. It is also the science that will convince most science novices that embryos are human beings at conception. It should be the area of science pro-life folks should be heralding in their fight to stop the Democrats from overturning Bush’s ban on this insane act which is akin to the ‘experiments’ the Nazis did on the Jews.
We are still too much animal and not enough higher being to see what we are doing and use the tools we created to stop ourselves from exploiting the youngest among us to prolong our own lives. Can conservatism regain mainstream support? Can conservatism end its fight against science and evolution to do what is right and save the life of young human beings? Are these actually the same question?
It is for conservatives to chose as a political entity. I know which is right and what science says and what science once mandated as prerequisites to human experiments. What I don’t know is how whether enough people are willing to admit their ignorance to champion the cause. Some refuse to accept science because they claim their faith requires it, some refuse to see the human being sacrificed on the alter of prolonging their own life (or someone close to them) because they claim a right to survive.
Too few see the full reality and the potential to save lives and prolong them all at once. Divided we fail, and we are divided.
Ah, yes. Creationism. That was the other thing about our side that makes me cringe.
Yeah, right.
Nothing to do with moderation.
Got to call time on being forced to agree with this line of debate.
Most voters are not tuned into this erudite world of blogs, of
alternative news sources, of strata-sphere OR atlasshrugs.
Most voters voted for the young guy as opposed to the old guy.
There was a solid racist preference amongst Blacks voting for the
guy who looked “Black enough” – actually Arab.
And he smiled a lot.
Also, Conservatives stayed home in droves, more than enough to
offset any PUMA effect.
We should be smart enough to realize when we have messed up,
not act as if everyone else is wrong and carry on blogging.
Now what is going to decide the 2010 election?
It will have zero to do with Republicans re-inventing themselves, nor
the fruits of a brave new world beginning to bloom.
There are three factors:
They are:
1) Buyer’s remorse – whether the democrats can make the money
trucks roll through the streets of the folks what have got that massive chip
upon their shoulder. I was living in the UK when Nu-Labor took over, and
that was exactly the expectation. FWIW, Nu-Labor is about to get the boot.
2) Do we get the big nuclear attack, dirty or full, on our mainland?
Odd are that the answer is YES WE DO. Americans have never suffered
mass casualties the way, say, Russia did in WWII. It will be a huge shock.
3) Do the Republicans choose candidates that bring back the 15% that
took the gamble?
Of the three possibilities I just delineated, number 2 is the big one.
I am absolutely convinced it will happen. Missiles will not be needed,
just sailboats with smiley people above deck, drinking Caly wine
or Pimms. Count on it. If DC is gone, then something new will have
to happen.
But let’s not pretend that if only McCain had favored giving millions
and millions of illegal aliens full voting rights then everything would
be hunky-dory, because actually, he did favor that. And it mattered sod-all.
If Obama was white, he wouldn’t have won. Sorry, that doesn’t
make me the problem, it makes the people who laid down at his
very smelly feet the very big problem.
Barry Hussein Malcolm Jr. Soetoro Obama Whatever is not my president.
He is not my president either, the people voted for Santa Claus.
The ONE who can give them something for nothing.
I don’t really know any conservatives who have either won office of actually wrote conservative laws which would bring about a better nation.
AJ you keep saying it was the Hardline Immigration policy.
I don’t see it. The numbers at the 7-11 keep growing no matter how many get deported.
All the legal hispanics I have talked to say it is wrong.
So what is the problem AJ .
THe media have been screwing this country for 50 years.
Outside money bought the election and the Democrats enginered a monetary crisis to hurt the repubs and help Obama.
All in all a well planned war against this country,
Now thanks to stupid young multiple voters and idiots looking for handouts and just plain stupid folk America is about to suffer.
He is not my president either, the people voted for Santa Claus.
The ONE who can give them something for nothing.
I don’t really know any conservatives who have either won office of actually wrote conservative laws which would bring about a better nation.
AJ you keep saying it was the Hardlione Immigration policy.
I don’t see it. The numbers at the 7-11 keep growing no matter how many get deported.
All the legal hispanics I have talked to say it is wrong.
So what is the problem AJ .
THe medai have been screwing this country for 50 years.
Outside money bought the election and the Democrats enginered a monetary crisis to hurt the repubs and help Obama.
All in all a well planned war against this country,
Now thanks to stupid young multiple voters and idiots looking for handouts and just plain stupid folk America is about to suffer.
Barry Hussein Malcolm Jr. Soetoro Obama Whatever is not my president.
should be a bumper sticker. I will put it on my car.
I think conservatism is just fine. We need someone who is capable of articulating how it works for everyday folks. How our country takes care of those who can’t help themselves and how those who can will succeed. The value and the pitfalls of leadership on the world stage. The desire to close boarders and widen the doors of knowing who is here. It is really quite simple! We just need someone who can make the case. Obama made his case with brilliance and won.
Kathie,
I agree whole heartedly. But how do we deal with those inside the conservative coalition and GOP who continue to undermine the cause? Just take all the inside the beltway sniping at Palin! These are from people who see their power fading in the light of a new generation like Palin.
When will the movement go from sniping at each other to building coalitions with reasonable expectations of what can be done?
You folks are assuming there will be free elections here on out.
He already is set to rule.
This is not an accidental choice of wording. These folks are contemplating taking your 401K’s.
They broke a whole bunch of laws with campaign finance and are stealing the election in Minnesota.
Many yougsters are full of hate for Bush and anything conservative and pro-business.
The collapse of the country has happened by the book.
YOU really think they are going to give you the chance to vote them out.
Not if they get 60 Senators they won’t.
And do the remainder of the RINO”S actually have the balls to try and stop them. I doubt it.
I am afraid many more bad things will have to happen before the other side gets the stones to do what is in the best interest of the Republic.
Might be too late by then and only force will stop it.
what are your thoughts about this:
rebuildtheparty.com
Kathie I cannot see where Obama made his case with brilliance.
THe media covered him like a blanket and the people just went for whomever promised them a handout
AJ sooner or later they will need money for reelection if they don’t have it boom.
But to be honest there are not that many honest election cycles left.
IF they don’t have there act together in two years I think it’s over.
AJ, I think loosing will help some to rethink. Having a good communicator will help too. Those on the right who argue every single little detail are propelled by our inability to communicate the big picture. A good communicator could shut them up in a nano second. A good communicator could show them the folly of their ways, how the big picture can be lost by nit-picking every little compromise.
Those on the right who want to win every argument are delusional and they need to get a grip. There are hot heads on both sides of the spectrum, MSM likes to put our guys on at every chance to make us look like we are the only hot heads.
MSM is going to be hard to deal with after their big win. Now they have proven to themselves they are really powerful.
Reagan could mussel the best of the hot heads with humor and logic. Yet he made many no so Republican decisions. He is remembered for the big picture of what he did, not the mistakes. Where do we find another Reagan? We need one!
Anyone else find it interesting that as soon as Obamanistas get access to the White House and classified briefings, the NY Times starts leaking news of US attacks on Al Qaida and various executive orders? It seems like as soon as the Obama transition people were allowed in, the Times suddenly gets another trove of classified information to publish.
Makes me ill. This is going to be a long four years.
“Obama won this election because something has soured the mood of the moderate conservatives and the optimistic youth (remember those days folks, where anything was possible?).”
My instincts are to agree with you, AJ, but I have to wonder if the numbers back you up: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15422.html
The large turnout wasn’t there, and I have to wonder if the election result wasn’t more of a function of a) conservatives unenthused with McCain and his muddled message (in which case, Palin I think saved him from a worse defeat) and b) the shock of the financial crisis and seeing even the party of small government and its standard-bearer resort to statist solutions.
I think we need more data. I’d like to see voting patterns by district correlated with opposition to the bailout. And, in advance of data, I’d like to see us avoid a “purity war,” while still honing a clear Center-Right message.
Conservatism IS mainstream. There is no necessity that conservatives somehow regain “lost support.” The problem is that there have been so damned few conservatives available and ready to take advantage of overwhelming public support looking for a champion! The attendance and spirit demonstrated at Palin rallys makes this quite apparent. And this was a woman undoubtedly muzzled and muted by her spineless running mate and his misguided campaign. Had she been able to reveal herself as the true conservative I believe her to be, the public support would have been far greater. RINOs in charge of the party realize this and are working to destroy Palin before she becomes one of the true conservative stars being sought by the base, indeed by the public in general. Prop 8 in California was defeated by black voters. Mind numbed Obama voters, paid to breed and vote democrat for the past 50 years, are nevertheless conservatives! These same voters would also overwhelmingly support the deportation of illegal aliens. Conservatism does not lack mainstream support. It’s the spineless, limp-wristed pandering of self-important hacks like McCain, Hegel, Graham, Shays and far too many others which has been so soundly rejected by the American voter. Betrayal packaged as “neo-conservativism” lost this election, just as it did in 2006.
[…] Priority, How much have voters really change?, Redrawing the Conservative Roadmap: Part I, Can Conservatism Regain Mainstream Support?, Political Wisdom: Obama’s Victory Has a Thousand Fathers, Exit Poll Demographics Shed Light on […]
All I think needs to be done is to get back to basic conservatism. It is a winner, always has been and always will be. The principles of fiscal conservatism, small government, Federalism, strong national defense, foreign policy that promotes and defends democracy, individual liberty and responsibility. Get off of all these “sideline” issues such as illegal immigration and pro choice or pro life.
Everytime a Republican has run on the above, it is a winner. Every time a Republican has tried to be a populist, it has been a loser.
Creationism and opposition to embryonic stem-cell research, general rejection of science, are constantly turning off Independents who tend to be moderate to conservative.
People believed Obama’s promise of a post-partisan nirvana without requiring any evidence beyond his words.
sort of like WMD in Iraq. oh my.
For everyone thinking a return to conservatism is the sole answer, here you go: “The Path out of the Wilderness” by John Avlon posted at Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15453.html
“Roughly 50 percent of the American people consider themselves moderate, compared with 30 percent who call themselves conservative and the 20 percent who say they are liberal. Independents are the largest and fastest-growing segment of the electorate. The math is clear: To win elections with wide margins in America, you need to appeal beyond your party’s base — but that’s a lesson that ideological activists hate to hear because it threatens to diminish their influence. Their discomfort is with the concept of representative democracy itself.
…
Obama ultimately won 60 percent of moderate voters, and independents favored him by 8 percentage points. Twenty percent of self-described conservative voters (presumably mostly Democrats) even pulled the lever for him.
…
Republicans will emerge from the wilderness only when they reconnect with independent and centrist voters who are fiscally conservative but socially progressive and strong on national security. That means modernizing by embracing a big- tent philosophy on social issues that can credibly attract libertarians again. It means regaining credibility on fiscal issues with clear contrasts like a balanced budget and flat tax. It means becoming more diverse and more urban. …”
John P. Avlon is the author of “Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics.”
you should check http://www.realclearpolitics.com for more on this because it is a huge topic these days. Rich Lowry’s article in WashPo on the same subject was also at RCP yesterday.
Huan is correct to point out http://rebuildtheparty.com.
seems to be a coalition between redstate.com , the Massachusetts GOP (Romney?), and some other Northeast GOP.
Just pulled a list of the 38 “Bush Democrats” from openleft.com.
A lot of them are also Blue Dog fiscal conservative Dems.
Hope John Boehner has the same list…and stops deluding himself that opposition to gay marriage is his big issue. Yes, it is important, but NOT enough as a single focus.
The analysis of the turnout vs. 2004 is going to be very sobering for Democrats thinking this was a sweep. New York City turnout was very similar to 2004, with a lot of white ethnic and Asian voters staying home. I bet McCain could have picked up one+ million votes just in NYC if he had tried.
I would NOT put a bumper sticker that is anti-Obama on my car – an invitation to vandalism.
There was a black church burning in Springfield, Mass yesterday, blamed so far on anti-Obama ‘forces’.
I remember when i started reading Aj’s post comments were pretty reasonable… logical… and… shorter and to the point… Faaar right is [opinion alert] NOT going to win the future, peeps… Move to the middle, please…
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and for once I agree with Patch… I’d like to slug the miserable pr*ck who leaked the special ops info & stuff him/her into the latrine… I’ll wait for more info before climbing on the conspiracy theory wagon though…
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Aj has always been right about the Hispanic vote, … I fear we Repubs have lost that vote forever… and… they are having babies…
btw, Semper Fi … It is… as you all know I am sure… Nov 10th…
AJ, could you point me to an article so I’ll have a better understand your belief in evolution and the bible.
I have long held that a person can believe in evolution and God, but I don’t believe you can believe in evolution and the Biblical account of Creation and how Man got here.
I’d love to read a book that bridges the gap, so please post some books so I can get.
Love your work,
Pam