Hello. We had another thread like this that degenerated to blanket statements and name calling, I'll kindly ask that we all refrain from that this time around...anyway...Questions for Debate: A: What is a conservative? B: Do the individuals in the Bush Admin. follow that definition?

CP

What is a conservative? Do you mean a social conservative? A fiscal conservative? An environmental conservative? Or a Republican (which is sort-of some of the above)? Or a "not liberal"?

To me it's like a marketing term that no longer has any true meaning. Like "open" in the computer world, which was abused so badly no one uses it any longer. People call themselves whatever is trendy.

The Bush Administration is a corporate-friendly, big spending, socially ambivalent administration. Dunno if that means they're conservative. Doubt it.

Of course, there's political positioning and absolutes. I think you're stuck on searching for an absolute and there aren't many of those in politics, just because it's hard to be elected as a doctrinaire.

I'm talking about just your typical Joe Conservative. Who I believe to be: Fiscally conservative, pro-small gov't, anti-illegal immigration [and to some extent normal immigration], pro-tax cuts, anti-abortion, anti-welfare and anti-affirmative action. I don't think that the Bush Administration comes close to my standards of Conservatism, the first two ideals from my list are completely disregarded in this administration.

CP

Let's see: Largest growth of goverment since LBJ- Patriot Act (goverment interference in poeple's lives), No child left behind (horrible goverment mandate), Steel tarrifs, farm subsidies, and now the illegal immigrant proposal, massive deficit spending, and in fact, total disregard for the deficit -- umm, where exactly is this administration conservative? You can have a hawkish liberal or conservative, so certainly foreign policy is not the area.

REally, only the religious right areas still hold the "conservative" label for the GW administration.

Yes, what amazes me is why liberals are not joining the Bush campaign and why conservatives are not looking for an alternative.

Wait a minute..is this the same GWB that can't think for himself? LOL..methinks he is his own person and like many of us you can't really pigeon-hole someone like that.

cusbilla

BINGO- This is the whole problem I have with the entire modern conservative movement- is thier blind following of this guy when it flies in the face of thier (supposedly) conservative values and issues.

What is an American conservative? I think this covers it about as well as it's possibly to do succinctly.

No, I don't think the Bush administration fits those principles terribly well.

I'm not thrilled with Bush but I don't see an electable alternative that wouldn't be worse. I'm used to that. I haven't been enthusiastic about voting for any President since 1980, and am accustomed to having to settle for the lesser evil.

But Al Gore AND Bill Clinton followed those principle you linked better than GW- so did you vote for them? Or where you duped into thinking (initially) that GW was at least a core conservative? I think some poeple that in thier heart know that GW has forsaken 90% of those principles, are simply supporting him through reflex than any real ideals at this point.

There are two main reasons I refuse to ever consider myself a "conservative"

1) the blind loyalty expected to the republican party, coupled with the refusal to give credit to the dems when they are doing right

2) the religious right

CruisingRam,

I'm not a conservative, I'm a libertarian. I didn't vote for Bush, I voted for Harry Browne on the Libertarian Party ticket. If the election eve polls in my state had been close enough that my vote could possibly have changed my state's electoral votes, then I wouldn't have had the luxury of voting my conscience and instead would have had to choose the lesser evil. Based on what Bush and Gore said about the issues during the campaign, Bush would have been that lesser evil. It's hard to tell how a candidate will perform in office until they're actually there.