In defeat, conservatives lack seeds of intellectual rebirth

[highnote]

Writing in the WASHINGTON POST, columnist George Will agrees that the conservative movement is far from dead -- John McCain did earn 46 percent of the popular vote in a difficult year -- but he also notes the resounding nature of the defeat. "If, as seems likely at this writing, in January congressional Republicans have 177 representatives and 44 senators, they will be weaker than at any time since after the 1976 elections, when they were outnumbered in the House 292 to 143 and the Senate 61 to 38." Unlike the defeat of Goldwater, which actually heralded the coming conservative era, Will sees no such signs in McCain's defeat:

Although John McCain's loss was not as numerically stunning as the 1964 defeat of Barry Goldwater, who won 16 fewer states and 122 fewer electoral votes than McCain seems to have won as of this writing, Tuesday's trouncing was more dispiriting for conservatives. Goldwater's loss was constructive; it invigorated his party by reorienting it ideologically. McCain's loss was sterile, containing no seeds of intellectual rebirth.

Full essay here:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11072008/profile.html

And also look for this interview with Kevin Phillips later tonight (unless you saw it as it was broadcast earlier this evening). He always gives a good interview from the conservative prospective.

Kevin Phillips is a political analyst, historian and author of 13 books. Mr. Phillips' first gained prominence as the chief political strategist for Richard Nixon during the 1968 election. In 1969, he published THE EMERGING REPUBLICAN MAJORITY, which forecasted a major shift to the right in electoral politics - a prediction that has been remarkably accurate. Over 20 years, he has contributed commentary to CBS NEWS, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, and THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.

[highnote]

Kevin Phillips told the "New York Times" in 1970: "The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republican."

LBJ said that when he signed the Equal Rights Amendment that he delivered the south to the republican party.

Interestingly, the Civil Rights movement started with the Abolitionists back before the Civil War and through Reconstruction.

It blows my mind to read the what Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote about the slaves, Dred Scott and his wife Harriet. when their appeal reached the United States Supreme Court, 11 years later.

He refused to free them. He ruled that slaves did not have the rights of citizens because Harriet and Dred Scott were, quote, "Beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect."

The Civil War, Lincoln's assassination, failure of reconstruction, Jim Crow, white supremacy and lynching followed.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11072008/transcript5.html

I highly recommend Moyer's essay tonight. It was one of his best ever.

[JustRalph]

George Will stopped being a conservative voice long ago. He is tainted by the crowd he runs with............

[highnote]

George Will stopped being a conservative voice long ago. He is tainted by the crowd he runs with............


Who are the conservative voices now?

Kevin Phillips has since become an independent.

[Tom]

Earth to Will....there were NO CONSERVATIVES on the ballot.
McCain was never a conservative - at best he was a liberal-traitor.
Bush was stopped being a conservative a long time ago.

George Will? Sad to see his lapse into moronity, but the dude is dead out wrong and obviously past his prime.

Perhaps it is George Will who is over.

[LottaKash]

George Will stopped being a conservative voice long ago. He is tainted by the crowd he runs with............

Tainted ?....Ha, an understatement......Very Evil is more like it.....A true Villain...History will report this.........:eek:

best,

[delayjf]

Tainted ?....Ha, an understatement......Very Evil is more like it.....A true Villain...History will report this.........

Evil seems a bit harsh.. why do you feel that way???

Probably one of the biggest reasons you don't see Conservatives run on a purely conservative platform is because its much easier to get elected promising someone something or telling them you are going to better their lives through some gov program.

i.e. President Bush never would have been elected had he not included a drug benefit plan as part of his platform.

[highnote]

So what is the future of the republican party or conservative movement?

Is it true that, "McCain's loss was sterile, containing no seeds of intellectual rebirth."?

[LottaKash]

Evil seems a bit harsh.. why do you feel that way???
.


Our country is bankrupt, our economy is in shambles and probably will never recover to it's former greatness, we are fighting ghosts in foreign lands with no chance at winning anything and the whole world is disgusted and laughing at us, and all this with W at the controls........not a bit harsh at all.....

sincerely,

[Sailwolf]

0 for 10 so far......

In your opinion, What would a conservative president stand for????:confused:

[JustRalph]

Our country is bankrupt, our economy is in shambles and probably will never recover to it's former greatness, we are fighting ghosts in foreign lands with no chance at winning anything and the whole world is disgusted and laughing at us, and all this with W at the controls........not a bit harsh at all.....

sincerely,

Wow, you are such an optimist. The country isn't bankrupt. Our Economy is not in shambles, you ever heard of the late 70's? It will turn around. It always does.

We are not fighting ghosts. We are killing many many individuals that are responsible for terrorism around the world. The whole world can be disgusted. We shouldn't care.....and it doesn't matter.

They all follow us economically and in Security matters. They can laugh all they want. Who cares what they think? F#$k Them! We lead, we don't follow.

[LottaKash]

. , It will turn around. It always does.
. Who cares what they think? F#$k Them! .

It will turn around, based on what ?.....Our significant maufacturing base has been sent to other parts of the world, we are printing money to the tune of $1-trillion a week, to bolster this supposed comeback.....and the Gangsters have opened the National Treasury Vault to whoever would partake of it....

What we have left is Disney World, McDonalds,and Wal-mart , then the rest of our once great economy is divvied up by the other GIANTS, such as Serviced based jobs, Baseball and all sports, and E-bay and the internet, wow, the future is so bright....And of course we still have all the Idol, reality and makeover shows on TV....

Open your eyes, we have been duped.....There is no comeback in the cards, and I am very sorry to have to say that.......It is not about optimism, it is about "reality".......Bleek..

For every terrible time in man's history, there was always a "pre-cursor time", and I believe this is it, now, today......

Have faith in GOD, it is the only thing left, that is worth having or worrying about.....I rejoice in this "reality"....Daily...:jump:

best,

[highnote]

It will turn around, based on what ?.....Our significant maufacturing base has been sent to other parts of the world,

One good thing about high oil prices is that manufacturing is moving back to this country because it costs so much to ship things across the ocean. Turns out, it's actually cheaper to make things here after energy costs are factored in.

[BlueShoe]

Have to disagree a bit with Tom about no Consevatives on the ballot;Alan Keyes,American Independent party,was on my ballot,in fact,I voted for him.Had major differences with McCain and consider Obama to be a Bolshevik,so cast a contrarian vote.Keyes got less than 1%,but so what.The Right will return in 10 and 12,the Dems will screw things up so bad that the GOP will come roaring back.

[delayjf]

It will turn around, based on what ?.....Our significant maufacturing base has been sent to other parts of the world, we are printing money to the tune of $1-trillion a week, to bolster this supposed comeback.....and the Gangsters have opened the National Treasury Vault to whoever would partake of it....

Do you really believe that the US treasury is printing 52 trillion new dollars every year? Last I looked were are still building new M-1, F-22, and the USS G. H. Bush right here in the US - we're ok.

[highnote]

Do you really believe that the US treasury is printing 52 trillion new dollars every year? Last I looked were are still building new M-1, F-22, and the USS G. H. Bush right here in the US - we're ok.


The U.S. is still the country the world looks to. We will be the first major market to emerge from this bear market. And when we do everyone else will follow.

I agree with delayjf -- we're OK.

Oh, one more thing... Obama is no more a bolshevik than McCain is hard line conservative.

[LottaKash]

One good thing about high oil prices is that manufacturing is moving back to this country because it costs so much to ship things across the ocean. Turns out, it's actually cheaper to make things here after energy costs are factored in.

Well John, that would be a shining light for us, to be sure, but the infrastructure for the most part, has been torn down, and it will take quite some time to rebuild it to any great extent....Here's hopin, I for one am not that optimistic, but hey, ya nevr'no....:jump:

best,