John Cole, of Balloon Juice: “I have come to the conclusion that the Republicans are so corrupt, so dishonest, so beholden to special interests and fanatical lobbying groups that Byrd not only looks to be the better option, but the entire Democratic party looks better.” He goes on: “I am not really having any fun attacking my old friends- but I don’t know how else to respond when people call decent men like Jim Webb a pervert for no other reason than to win an election.” I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: welcome to the big tent party, John. It’s not just Jim Webb — we welcome all born again Democrats.
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I like to think that a conservative is just another liberal who hasn’t needed a second chance yet. Big tent, indeed.
Or maybe a conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged.
“Anyone who’s not a liberal at 20 has no heart; anyone who’s still a liberal at 40 has no brain.”
-Churchill
You know that quote used to get passed around the family table alot Judge. The Bubbys are a mixed bag of Goldwater Republicans, Reagan Republicans, Roosevelt Dems, and McGovern Democrats. And as I always say – The Bushs and their Neocon / Theocratic allies are most definitely not the Republicans of yore. This is the corrupt spawn of Richard Nixon – the Great Divider. Churchill wouldn’t even recognize these Republicans. Just like James Webb doesn’t.
Judge Smails,
While I don’t entirely agree with Churchill’s statement, I can see the point. The problem is that the Republican party is far from conservative these days.
Right now, I’d love to see one of the parties become fiscally conservative, just to keep the worst spenders in line. Sadly, earmarks are a Republican’s best friend. As far as social conservatism, well, your own call for change in society (all mainstream press outside of Fox News, as well as academia) demonstrates a group looking for change. not to mention Republican education programs such as this one that seek to reshape society in a Fundementalist Christian image.
Again, I’m not saying that government education and government spending are bad. ; they’re just not conservative.
The Churchill quote is a quip, albeit one with grains of truth. Obviously, there are many big-hearted 20 year-old conservatives and many brainy 40 year-old liberals.
As for your criticisms of the GOP, they are spot on. My only rebuttal is that I believe Democratic control of all three branches would bring even more egregious spending abuses. I actually look back pretty fondly on the Clinton-Gingrich years when spending was restrained by their mutual high disregard for one another.
Lastly, I never called for the wholesale societal changes you suggest I did. I was merely trying to illustrate that vast swaths of the culture (the MSM and academia) are dominated by liberals, while conservatives exist largely in small redoubts like Fox News, talk radio, the blogosphere, etc.
Judge Smails,
I too look back on the Clinton-Gingrich years fairly fondly for much the same reasons. Even if I wasn’t on the left side of the political spectrum, I think I’d be voting democrat this time around in order to devide the government amoung the two political parties. It’s the only way we’ll get responsible spending. History has borne this out time and again, but sadly, we never seem to learn.
I’m hoping for a strongly Democratic house, a 50R/49D/1I senate (I’d love more democrats, but I’m doubtful that they’ll get more than that), and a Republican president. There’ll be a lot of ugliness at first, but I think things will get a whole lot less corrupt, both in terms of actual corruption and the idiological corruption that’s currently plaguing the Republicans. It may just be a pipe-dream, but I’m hoping.
Frankly, I don’t want one party controlling both elected branches. It’s trouble. I prefer a Democratic president, a Democratic House, and a Republican Senate.
Wow. I’m pleasantly surprised by y’all’s belief in divided government. I incorrectly assumed you were both hoping for a Dem takeover of both Houses of Congress, the impeachment and removal of Bush AND Cheney, and a caretaker Pelosi presidency.
As a committed conservative, I confess the last 4-6 years have been a huge disappointment. A lot of people paint Bush as some new kind of uber conservative, but as Ben C. pointed out, he’s often just the opposite. Non-defense discretionary spending is through the roof and the new Medicare entitlement exacerbates the problems in that already troubled program. I could go on.
Maybe I should consider voting for Webb & Weed.
Nah.
Well, it’s not like the dominant party should campaign with one arm tied behind their backs. I certainly want my representatives to be Democrats (though I’m not sure I could support a Democrat to replace Sen. John Warner). That said, the kind of Republicans that I’d want running the Senate to be honest-to-God conservatives, not these faux conservatives and neoconservatives that litter the D.C. landscape these days.