The American Spectator

S.L. Toddard| 10.9.09 @ 3:56PM

DAMN RIGHT!

Whenever someone says "a conservatism that can work again", what they mean is "a conservatism that concedes enough to liberal ideology to be palatable to moderates." When GOP candidates run on fiscal responsibility, the free market, small government principles and anti-immigrant rhetoric and then get into office and maintain an open border w/Mexico, spend more recklessly than any liberal, and drastically increase social spending and the size, power and scope of the federal government while tanking the economy and doubling the nat'l debt in the process, the result is disillusionment on the Right and the opportunity on the left to claim the policies the GOP ran on (small gov't, fiscal responsibility etc) don't work when they were never implemented in the first place.

I believe there is still a sizable portion of the electorate that embraces respect for traditional institutions and morality, small government, fiscal responsibility, strong DEfense, and patriotic immigration reform. What they need is to see GOP candidates run who have credibility on these issues, and who will at least fight to get them turned into policy.

Nick| 10.9.09 @ 4:19PM

I see you are starting to come around, Mr. Toddard. Good for you.

S.L. Toddard| 10.9.09 @ 5:09PM

"embraces respect for traditional institutions and morality, small government, fiscal responsibility, strong DEfense, and patriotic immigration reform"

Nick, this describes Ron Paul to a T. Have *you* come around?

Paulitical Eunuch| 10.10.09 @ 10:13PM

"embraces respect for traditional institutions and morality"
What's his position on Abortion, Homo Sexual "marriage, Drugs, prostitution and euthanasia?
It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. John Adams
Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.
Ben Franklin

Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.
Samual Adams

Since you are aligned with those who consider immoral behavior nothing more than an economic transaction, what have I in common with someone such as you?

SoCon| 10.11.09 @ 4:38PM

I don't know who you are but I love your post! Thank you for your inspiration.

dad29| 10.9.09 @ 5:41PM

You may wish to see this:

http://patrickdeneen.blogspot......gress.html

...which expands on the post and invokes Reagan--but not favorably.

S.L. Toddard| 10.9.09 @ 7:17PM

Expands on what post? That, by the way, is a magnificent piece of work by Deneen. The most discouraging aspect of hoping for a return to conservative values - at least on the right - is that most people have no idea what they are. They absolutely would not understand what Deneen is talking about. They think Reagan was the archetypal conservative, and that "conservatism" thusly means something akin to "Low taxes + Free Markets + Military Strength" when, in actuality, these things are a means and not an end in and of themselves. I'm going to make an extremely awkward analogy, and say that it is in a way like someone who never watches sports, follows no team, and has never seen a game in person or on t.v.. This person is utterly unfamiliar with what it is to be a sports fan, but he is positive that he is one because he wears a hat with two red socks on it.

Liberal Reader| 10.10.09 @ 12:48AM

You better not be saying something bad about the Red Sox here, Toddard, or you and I are going to have a problem.

Other than that, I agree in part. I am more and more distressed NOT that people on the right don't understand liberalism, but that they don't seem to understand the most basic ideas of traditional conservatism.

Emblematic of this debasement was when Palin couldn't answer Couric about Supreme Court decisions other than R v Wade that she disagreed with.

The idea that a CONSERVATIVE would have nothing to say about the Supreme Court on national television on the eve of an election was proof positive that something had gone horribly wrong on the right.

S.L. Toddard| 10.10.09 @ 9:47AM

"You better not be saying something bad about the Red Sox here"

Hell no! Lifelong Sox fan over here. Though I am at the moment more excited about the Pats.

Daisy| 10.11.09 @ 4:46PM

Yeah, I can understand why you're more excited about the Pats right now--your Sox just got their butts beat BIG!!

Toddard and LibReader: Two jack-ass birds with one stone! That's what I'm talkin' about.

Daisy| 10.11.09 @ 4:42PM

Too bad LibReader, my Angels just swept your Sox in three!! I can hear your weeping from here.

HA HA HA HA HA!

Liberal Reader| 10.10.09 @ 12:33AM

Wow. This is a terrific piece, Mr Bandow. Three cheers for integrity and intelligent self-criticism.

See now, folks?

You can do it.

I'd like to see some answers to the provocative questions put to conservatives in this thoughtful essay.

S.L. Toddard| 10.10.09 @ 9:56AM

Don't hold your breath.

And I recommend you do what I do - go out of you way to read everything Mr. Bandow and Mr. W. James Antle write here. They both generally represent what is/was best about the right, and the direction it should go if it wishes to become relevant again. That's not to say you will agree with them at all - you personally will not I'm sure, but you'll find their positions principled, consistent, genuine, entirely logical and based on a deep and profound understanding of and affinity for conservative thought.

Daisy| 10.11.09 @ 4:48PM

Toddard the 'paleo-conservative' and Jeremiah/LibReader the marxist: Soul mates.

Says something about your 'conservatism' Toddard.

Liar.

martin j smith| 10.10.09 @ 8:30AM

The average American voter ( that one who is not involved in politics or bloging etc ) really does not have clue about what is going on in his country or the world except for what the MSM feeds them. Thus they not comprehend what a state run medical or an economic policies that could lower their standard of living until it hits them in the face so to speak. When that happens, the opposition has chance to capitalize unless it offers policies that are really not much different from those in power. Thus endeth the lesson.

Liberal Reader| 10.10.09 @ 5:13PM

Martin --

1. No one is proposing a "state run" health care system. Such an idea had about 80 votes in the House, and not 20 in the Senate. It was abandoned before last summer even began.

2. Countries WITH "state run" health care systems have HIGHER standards of living than the U.S.

That's right. The U.S.A. does NOT have the highest standard of living in the world, not by far. The middle class is FAR less stable in the U.S. than in Europe, and -- believe it or not -- upward mobility is slower and less frequent than most of our European allies, including the once class-rigified Great Britain.

Canada's "state run" health care system is afforded with tax rates comprable to those in the U.S. (It is a MYTH that Canada's taxes are far higher than our own; in fact, they are about 1 and 1/2 % higher.)

Be that as it may. Again: NO ONE, not ONE Congress person, is proposing anything like a health care system on the model of one of our wealthier, healthier European allies or Canada.

Liberal Reader| 10.10.09 @ 5:16PM

One other thing.

Obama has consistently rejected "state run" health care, both during the campaign and since he gained office. He DID once say that single payer would be best if we were starting from scratch, but that is hardly advocacy of the idea: clearly, we are not starting from scratch.

victor | 10.10.09 @ 10:17PM

To Simple Reader,
You believe anything that Man in the White House says or does?
Everything he says or does points to Government Run Everything; Banks, Auto Companies, Insurance companies, Energy Companies, what have you.

victor| 10.10.09 @ 10:24PM

Those stats by the World Hysteria Organization are flawed because they are skewed towards the lesser nations. They leave out such things as traffic accidents, higher rates of disease, and mortality due to gang violence to name a few.
Canada has a much higher tax rate and cannot afford all of the tests and diagnostics that are available here in the US, as seen by all the Canucks hat come here for elective and non-elective surgery and treatment.
Wealthier?'
Healthier?
Go read their papers such as the National Post and the Daily Mail to read about the horrors that is Nationalized Health Care.
If nationalized health care is so loathsome, why are the dems and obama so hot to get it passed, eh?

Liberal Reader| 10.10.09 @ 11:10PM

Victor,

Not one true, verifiable fact having escaped your keyboard this evening, I'm not certain how to respond. You've certainly absorbed the right wing radio propaganda.

Canada's tax rates are not much higher than ours.

America's overall standard of living is not the highest in the world; we're behind other industrialized democracies in many areas, including health and education.

You're the hysterical one my friend. Shut off Beck and Hannity and do a little reading yourself.

victor| 10.11.09 @ 12:10AM

True fact:
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,
We have the number two(california 55,000)
and number three The US (50,000) incomes
after Switzerland (Gross) 60,000, after taxes they drop to number 5 (43,000) after Canada number 4 at 44,000
True fact #2 (Canada's Tax Rates)
Canada has a bottom rate of 22% (15% Federal+ 7% Provincial )to a top rate of 45% (29% Federal + 14.44% Provincial Average)
+ 11.94% Goods and Services Tax (GST) , Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST)
That comes to a total of 34.92% for the lowest rates $35-$40000 or 55.38% for the highest rates over $126,000.
These figures come from:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nd.....s-eng.html
I always fact check liberals, liberaltarians, rinos and all other assorted weenies.
The Great Ronaldus Maximus said:
"Trust, but verify."
I would never trust anything that comes out the UN, unless it is a change of address to Swaziland.
That is TWO verifiable FACTS.
You dear Sir, Madam or FrozenVegetable as the case may be, are LYING!
You want the Truth, You can't handle the Truth!

Daisy| 10.11.09 @ 4:51PM

Victor, LibReader/Jeremiah is an Axelrod astroturfer who lies, lies and lies some more.

He sold his soul to Marxist ideology long ago--like most of Obama & Co.

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 5:27PM

LOL Daisy~ I'm trying to picture this in my mind. An Axlerod Astroturfer. Maybe you ought to copyright that. :^)

SoCon| 10.11.09 @ 5:55PM

WHO was hysterical when Beck got Van Jones fired?

Hannity's working on that freak, Jennings, now.

Daisy| 10.11.09 @ 4:49PM

Liar. Marxist.

Yosemeti Sam| 10.10.09 @ 10:41AM

" ... Conservatives have to ask: if the price of staying in power is making the largest addition to the welfare state in forty years, then what is the purpose of staying in power?...."

What breed of 'conservatives' are you waxing
about?; the obsequious LMSM ingratiating RINO breed or the besieged bona fide peoples identity
representatives of conservatism?

If democracy is born of twins and one is the
Cain of politics - where should the populace
really cling to? Really now? Again, really now?

To the GOP primaries - where such can only
afford clarity of representative candidates
based on a gauntlet process of RINO exclusion!

Mary Louise| 10.10.09 @ 12:09PM

If democracy is born of twins and one is the
Cain of politics - where should the populace
really cling to? Really now? Again, really now?

A bit of genius.

Yosemeti; Blanc's genius. Three of my favorite expressions: 1) I'm a warnin' ya stranger! 2)
It's gettin' powerful warm in here! And last, but not least, 3) Throw me the dowry, Emmy!

S.L. Toddard| 10.10.09 @ 11:06AM

"What breed of 'conservatives' are you waxing
about?"

I cannot speak for Mr. Bandow, but it seems he is speaking of those "conservatives" who stood with the radical statist George W. Bush while he enacting his left-wing policies and drastically increased the size of our welfare state beyond even LBJ's wildest dreams.

victor| 10.11.09 @ 12:16AM

Certainly not your brand of "conservativism",
more like "Fringism" and not the kind of fringes you wore in high skrewel.
As bad as you claim GW was, he will be a thousand times better on his worst day than obama will be on his best, if he ever has one, day.
Nobody increased Gov't more than FDR or LBJ.
PS you also cannot speak for anyone but yourself.
Certainly not for anyone who is Conservative.

Liberal Reader| 10.11.09 @ 12:23AM

You need to give Rush a break, victor. Just until you can come up with some of your own material.

victor| 10.11.09 @ 12:31AM

Answering for Slo Todd are we?
Is he incapacitated or decapacitated?
Rush says what I am already thinking.
You just are afraid to see the Truth.
One day you will have to stand in Judgement and answer for yourself.
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment.

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 5:13PM

You need to give Rush a break"

~Not till the whole country agrees with him!

martin j smith| 10.10.09 @ 12:22PM

As an outsider looking back at GWB I think he was a big mistake to run as president. He was inarticulate
and allowed himself to be the scapegoat for the world. His policies were really a prelude to Obama:
No Child Left behind, Rx Drug program, his policies on immigration and I also might add
his being more and more wonky on terrorism as his second term came to an end.
At this point some leader has to hook into the voting public's discontent on issues such as: Jobs,threat of large tax burdens,government overreach,the deficit and its consequences not to mention highly problematic foreign policy issues placing our nation in greater danger of attack.

Bottom line--there is a need for will to win and a willingness to confront Democratic policies and accept the usual response of Race card,ethnic card,gender card or whatever being prepared to bring the issue back into the public's view.

there edeth lesson two with the question: who has the guts and the genius ?

victor| 10.11.09 @ 12:19AM

Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty,
John Boehner, Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions to name a few.
Your move: Answer your own question, please.
We have more than enough Conservatives to field a baseball team. And certainly no RINO's, Liberaltarians or Poseurs allowed.

Margie| 10.10.09 @ 10:08PM

Faux conservatism as spouted by the Lrgtists Toddard and or LibRead is exactly that. Faux! It will never do anything but destroy this country. Sarah Palin IS conservatism. True conservatism. Get used to it because we aren't going away no matter all the name calling and lying you can possibly come up with. Truth never dies, it goes on for eternity.

Liberalism=Socialism=Communism=Satanism.

~I am inpervious to flame so don't bother.

Liberal Reader| 10.11.09 @ 12:24AM

Margie --

Honestly I believe you are a liberal making fun of folks around here. You have to be.

Liberalism equals Satanism. Palin equals conservatism.

Pretty good, Margie.

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 1:07AM

In your mind I am a liberal. You see, you accuse me of the thing that you actually do. Anyone who tells the truth on the issues, or makes any decent sense, you belittle and insult. That is a typical Liberal trick. Right out of Saul Alinsky's playbook, "Rules for Radicals." Basically accuse your opponent of the very thing that you are actually doing.

It is actually true when I say that Liberalism=Communism=Satanism. These are all based on the belief that man can do everything without God. Man is his own God. This is why Liberals work so hard at removing God from the public square. And they are aided by the Libertarians. Not only the public square, but our children's schools and our courts. Even out in the middle of the desert a cross is not permitted. Liberals and Libertarians want abortion and same sex Marriage legal so they can continue to be immoral. The Founding Fathers knew that our form of government couldn't work unless the people were a moral people. Immorality is not of God. God's enemy is the Devil. If you believe your Bible then you know this. You are on one side or the other, and there is no in-between. It is conservatives (true ones) who want what is right in His eyes. What you refer to as the Right Wing, radio listening Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck loving, Sarah Palin adoring, Bible believing, God fearing Americans who have it right. We are anti-Liberal, anti-Leftist, anti-Socialist, anti-Communist, thus on the side of the Truth. Which will never be destroyed no matter how hard you guys try.

No kidding.

victor| 10.11.09 @ 3:22AM

Actually, liberals make fun of themselves as it is, you guys don't need help from us.
We couldn't make up the stuff about you that you do nauturally.
How bout this for starters, you worship, adore and revere a man who never had an honest job in his life, never had a job in high school or college, got stoned and snorted coke in high school, but thinks he knows how business works and is capable of running major metropolitan manufacturers, able to leap tall bankers and faster than disappearing cash for clunkers.
Liberalism+Statism+Stalinism
Palin=Truth, Justice and the American Way!
And don't you forget it.

Daisy| 10.11.09 @ 4:56PM

Keep it up, Margie. The only way for evil to prevail is for good men (and women!) to do nothing.

Democrats/Liberals/Socialists/Communists/Satanists. Works for me!

Margie| 10.10.09 @ 10:10PM

* s/b ...as spouted by the LEFTISTS.
*s/b impervious.
bye now!

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 1:46AM

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever."
Thomas Jefferson, 1781

Liberal Reader| 10.11.09 @ 12:25PM

Was Jefferson a good God fearing Christian then, Margie.

(This ought to be good!)

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 2:56PM

LOL, another loaded question from LibReader.

My answer: Do you really care?

Liberal Reader| 10.11.09 @ 3:10PM

Actually, I'd like to hear your answer.

You quote -- out of all context -- Jefferson twice above, and mingle these quotes in amongst some rather sharp commentary about the Bible and Christianity.

I'd like to hear what you think: was Jefferson a God fearing Christian, or was he not?

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 3:30PM

"Man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the spot of every wind. With such persons, gullability, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason and the mind becomes a wreck."
Thomas Jefferson
He sure knew what he was talking about, didn't he LibRead?

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 3:33PM

LibRead,
What you cannot fathom, is that the Truth is the Truth.

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 3:50PM

"You quote -- out of all context -- Jefferson twice above, and mingle these quotes in amongst some rather sharp commentary about the Bible and Christianity."
See, the Truth is the Truth, LibReader. "Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jn. 14:6
"For there is no respect of faces with God...For what nations not having Law do by nature the things of the Law, they not having Law are a law to themselves, who demonstrate the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience witnessing with them, and the thoughts between one another accusing or even accusing, in a day when God judges the hidden things of men, according to my gospel, through Jesus Christ." Rmns. 2:11&14;-16.
~That is my answer to you concerning Thomas Jefferson.

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 3:52PM

*s/b "Accusing or even excusing."

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 1:57AM

"History by apprising them of the past will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may assume; and knowing it, to defeat its views."
Thomas Jefferson, 1781

You see. LibReader, those of us here, for the most part, know our history and what it was based upon enough to recognize Liberalism in its many disguises. We are not easily fooled.

martin j smith| 10.11.09 @ 7:53AM

As for the possible candidates who might run against Obama be very careful. You do not want another John MacCaine. This means --No crazy"bipartisanship" by crazy I mean foolish,naive and unrealistic. No fear of confronting your opponent. JM was afraid. Having an articulate knowledge of the issues that most voters are concerned about such as the economy!!!!--Jobs,health care,energy,our debt,taxes,national security etc. And most importantly being willing to stand up to your opponent including the MSM with facts and reach out above your opponents to the voters. These are some ideas which will help me to determine who is the right leader.

Liberal Reader| 10.11.09 @ 12:27PM

Now this I cannot countenance.

John McCain, whose politics are conservative and drive me crazy, is the most honorable man your party has run for president since Eisenhower.

It is bizarre but not really surprising that you people hate the person in your party with the most guts and most integrity.

S.L. Toddard| 10.12.09 @ 7:16AM

"John McCain, whose politics are conservative and drive me crazy, is the most honorable man your party has run for president since Eisenhower."

Good god. You're out of your mind.

Ken (Old Texican| 10.11.09 @ 1:59PM

Margie.........THANK YOU!

You just keep hangin' in there with the truth.
I do believe John McCain is an honorable man...just stupid....or perhaps broken by his life.
He thinks he can do business with these country destroyers. He is wrong.
Lib reader is either a paid mole...or completely stupid and childish.
Toddard is stupider (smile).

Martin,
thank you for a voice of reason, though I am very afraid reason will be left behind soon in our country.
The stupids combined with the oath-breaker traitors look as if they are bringing us to the precipice of civil war.

We productive members of our society must hope we "can throw the bums out" in 2010 and cripple the oath-breakers through 2012, and then repeal all the crap they are using to destroy us.

I also fear what happens if we cannot throw the bums out in 2010. I fear it will be war to the knife, Martin, and the stupids will be asking themselves what happened.

The problem is that the traitors know that as well, and we must anticipate all of the things they can do to stay in power. Please, start thinking ahead a year or two. TEAM AMERICA is all about thinking ahead and trying to win this war with votes, (properly counted). We are also trying to identify genuine free-market conservatives to elect to congress if elections are allowed in 2010.

Margie, God bless!
Martin, Thank you

Margie| 10.11.09 @ 2:51PM

Old Tex,
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Ps. 23:4
(The world is the valley.) Thanks for the encouragement! And to you as well, don't you ever even think about giving up. "Therefore, encourage one another, and build up one another, as you also do." 1 Thess. 5:11.
-As for John McCain. You better believe I voted for him. A Patriotic American who suffered abuse under the enemies of our country and a far better man the the man who now acts as a dictator rather than a servant of the people (like we pay him to be), and who would have gladly and humbly served us as our Commander in Chief. (Take heed all ye that refuse to vote for the RINO and choose instead to let your vote go to Socialists. Do you really want OBAMA II?) I pray that if Sarah Palin runs, she does so in the Republican Party, don't you, won't it be another Ross Perot situation otherwise?

I share your fears too as all sane Americans do. It isn't the type of cowardly fear displayed by the Left though, because we fight, not cower.
God bless you too, Ken.

martin j smith| 10.12.09 @ 8:31AM

Lets look at John M's campaign for a moment. Did he present cogent economic policies that contrasted with Obama--No. Did he confront Obama on his dealing with Joe the Plumber -No. Did JM confront Obama on his past associations and their implications for his view of being President as well as foreign polciy-No. Did he criticize Obama's lack of experience and ultra left voting record ? -No. Did he criticize Obama's Berlin speech and its implications for foreign policy-N0. Did he stop his campaign to"solve " the economic policy ?-yes. Did he make best use of Sara Palin as running mate ? -No In fact quite the opposite. And I could go on. The issue is not if JM is an " Honorable Man"--We have many of those. The issue is is he or someone like him the best choice. As I saqy--its not color of their skin, its the content of their political character that counts. Being honest without being foolish. Standing up for ones own ideas and beliefs, being and being willing to listen to opposing views and not being afraid of confronting opponents when they are wrong with reasons not name calling. These are the elements I am looking for.

martin j smith| 10.12.09 @ 8:35AM

And by the way I did vote for JM--I had noother way voting against Obama. I strongly suspect that Sara Palin increased the number of votes and I would go further in saying that If JM had a more effective campaign he might have won or at least made the election a nail biter. He was a very annoying and frustrating to watch in his campaign--see above for the details.

Conservative Bob| 10.12.09 @ 12:21PM

McCain may be the liberals view of the perfect conservative but he is not conservative. I agree as to his bravery and his military service and he is occasionally correct on some issues. (some spending limits, ear marks and some military issues)
His signature legislation McCain Feingold did irreparable harm to constitutionally protected speech, he favors amnesty for illegal aliens, he supports too many big government solutions.
His leadership/involvement with the gang of 14 is emblematic of his lack of conservatism.

electgogo| 10.29.09 @ 10:28AM

The contents of article are wonderful!!!Great!
brand new discounting Laptop Batteries
brand new discounting Laptop cpu fans