I haven’t agreed with much of what Jonah Goldberg has had to offer lately, but I sure do want to second this:
Look, I have no problem with some of the specific policy proposals which have earned the CC label. But as a school of thought and political action, I hate it more now than I did in 2000. It has become a rationale for patronage, for overspending and for the sort of rhetoric which romanticizes the State. Besides, political ideas are about moments. To the extent Compassionate Conservatism made sense in 2000, that was due to the fact that we had surpluses, we had peace and Republicans (though not necessarily conservatives) felt the need to out-Clinton Clinton on soccer mom politics. They also wanted to give a concrete vehicle for working Christian conservatives into social policy discussion, which is fine with me in principle so long as Christian conservatives are also small government conservatives (as a great, great many of them are).
Compassionate conservatism has morphed into big-government rule with nanny-state religionist diktats. Enough. I am going to be hard-pressed to support a Republican in the near future, and a way to make sure I vote for a third-party candidate or seriously consider a Democratic candidate is to continue down the road we are currently following.
Geek, Esq.
Don’t worry JC, I’m sure my party will nominate someone who will force you to remain put.
John Cole
I think you seriously are misjudging how much I hate the current Republican congress, their spending, their insertion of themselves into everything, and the influence of the radical religious right.
SomeCallMeTim
John:
The fiscal policy differences between centrist Dems (pretty much everyone, after Clinton’s success) and centrist Republicans (those who used to be known as “deficit hawks”) is close to zero. It is precisely because you, nonetheless, can not really imagine voting for a Democrat that the Republican Party feels a certain freedom to behave any way it wants. It is essentially impossible for it to lose your vote, and it knows it.
Tim F
John, I am curious to know your opinions about Wesley Clark.
Regarding general government stupidity, here’s a heads-up courtesy of my favorite anonymous blogger whose tag starts with a ‘c.’
Defense Guy
Yes John, the concerns regarding the current crop of Republicans you have are certainly valid. The problem I see, is that the Democrats have nothing. Not one idea or plan other than to paint the other side as wrong. I wish you luck if you decide to switch parties, you are going to need it.
BinkyBoy
I find it particularly hilarious when people like Defense Guy say that Democrats have no plan but to oppose.
Whose Energy Bill just passed the House? Oh wait, it was a Democratic Energy Bill. Who has laid out multiple ideas for Social Security but have been left out of the committee’s and any other negotiations, oh wait, thats the Democrats again.
If you want to see Democratic ideas, encourage the Majority to start allowing time to review bills from the Democrats. Until then all they can do is oppose.
Never in prior history has a single political party used its majority to silence the minority, completely and totally. Bill Clinton was the best at reaching across the aisle and encouraging Republican compromise when the Dems held the majority.
But you’ll believe what you want to believe. When you continue to lose voting blocs and seats, you’ll blame Democrat Obstructionism or something else about Democrats… You’re pathetic.
ppgaz
Compassionate Conservatism is just another slogan now in the long and storied history of slogans whose main purpose is to provide cover for politicans to buy votes with your money.
We Dems have used it successfully, and the Repubs are now teaching the teacher. The only thing that is really different is who gets the patronage.
Geek, Esq.
Well, I think it would be good for the country if there were a market correction in 2006. The Democrats received a justly deserved comeuppance in 1994, and the Republicans seem to be just as deserving, if not more.
Defense Guy
BinkyBoy
So when Babs Boxer states that she doesn’t need an alternative plan, that all she needs to do is stop Bush then I am what, reading too much into it?
As to who is pathetic, why don’t we wait until the 2006 and 2008 elections to decide that. The Democrats haven’t been doing so great as of late, so time will tell.
Also, way to play the victim card. If the Democrats are being silenced by the Republicans, than the Reps. are doing the worst job in history of silencing.
tim
I’m sure defense guy wants the Repubs to be judged by the largest nutcase in the Hill, too. Hey, what about Robin “Saddam Personally Responsible for 911” Hayes – there’s a bright bulb. Just remember: a vote for Repubs is a vote for that lying sack of …., just like a vote for Demos is a vote for nutjob Boxer. All the same, right?
Geek, Esq.
Better yet, let’s put Duke CunningScam up front and center with The Bugman as representing Congressional Republicans.
Of course, that’s assuming we can book the Dukester before starts serving his sentence.