What is a "pure" conservative?

[jamil]

I'm just curious about what everyone thinks people should believe before they may call themselves conservative.

If you owned a Conservatives-only Club. What's you're membership requirements?

 

[iwearcowboyboots]

I'm just curious about what everyone thinks people should believe before they may call themselves conservative.

If you owned a Conservatives-only Club. What's you're membership requirements?

Willard Mitt Romney (except when he's a liberal)

 

[IndyDave1776]

I'm just curious about what everyone thinks people should believe before they may call themselves conservative.

If you owned a Conservatives-only Club. What's you're membership requirements?

First and foremost, it is imperative that we understand that 'conservative' is not an absolute term, but rather dependent entirely upon the position, condition, or possession which a given 'conservative' wishes to conserve.

Left up to me, the criterion would be that of reading the Constitution, doing what it says, and not doing what it doesn't say.

 

[jamil]

First and foremost, it is imperative that we understand that 'conservative' is not an absolute term, but rather dependent entirely upon the position, condition, or possession which a given 'conservative' wishes to conserve.

Left up to me, the criterion would be that of reading the Constitution, doing what it says, not not doing what it doesn't say.

Did you intend the double negative? The constitution limits the power of government, so if it doesn't say a particular thing, how do you mean to apply that?

 

[IndyDave1776]

Did you intend the double negative? The constitution limits the power of government, so if it doesn't say a particular thing, how do you mean to apply that?

No, I was suffering from TWD (typing while distracted). Error duly corrected. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[flightsimmer]

I took the political test to see how I came out on the question.
I scored 100% Libertarian. So go figure.
I guess that puts me right up there with John Stossel on Fox News?

 

[jamil]

No, I was suffering from TWD (typing while distracted). Error duly corrected. Thanks for pointing it out.

Just trying to understand your POV.

So in that case, what does not doing what it doesn't say look like? The constitution mostly limits the power of government. I'm still trying to understand how you mean that.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Just trying to understand your POV.

So in that case, what does not doing what it doesn't say look like? The constitution mostly limits the power of government. I'm still trying to understand how you mean that.

My point is that the federal government should be doing the things the Constitution calls upon it to do and nothing else. I guess I was ambiguous in that the phrase was referring to the actions of the government and what a conservative would tolerate of it, not the individual.

 

[Bond 281]

Just trying to understand your POV.

So in that case, what does not doing what it doesn't say look like? The constitution mostly limits the power of government. I'm still trying to understand how you mean that.

I would say simply taking a conservative reading of the Constitution. Meaning that when it says Congress can regulate interstate commerce, it simply means they can regulate commerce, not things that might remotely, possibly, if you look at just the right angle potentially affect commerce. Likewise, it says nothing about the government providing for healthcare, various prohibitions, regulation in any way of firearms, etc. There's so much that the government does using some obtuse interpretation of the Constitution that is in no way, shape, or form the original intention. Conservative to me means simply taking the powers and limits of the government as intended by the Founders.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I would say simply taking a conservative reading of the Constitution. Meaning that when it says Congress can regulate interstate commerce, it simply means they can regulate commerce, not things that might remotely, possibly, if you look at just the right angle potentially affect commerce. Likewise, it says nothing about the government providing for healthcare, various prohibitions, regulation in any way of firearms, etc. There's so much that the government does using some obtuse interpretation of the Constitution that is in no way, shape, or form the original intention. Conservative to me means simply taking the powers and limits of the government as intended by the Founders.

You mean you oppose the Wickard v. Filburn power grab (by a Supreme Court packed by FDR)? How could you? After all, 8 of those justices were appointed by a national hero!

 

[Fletch]

It's easy. Liberals want government to be your Mommy. Conservatives want government to be your Daddy.

 

[strahd71]

The pure conservative would be Ron Paul hanging on the cross for our sins.....

jake

 

[rambone]

Well a pure conservative would embrace social conservatism. In other words, ban things that are immoral, tell people what they are not allowed to smoke, involve government in the bedroom, etc.

 

[strahd71]

Well a pure conservative would embrace social conservatism. In other words, ban things that are immoral, tell people what they are not allowed to smoke, involve government in the bedroom, etc.

i always thought those types were just nosy?

jake

 

[Classic Liberal]

Well a pure conservative would embrace social conservatism. In other words, ban things that are immoral, tell people what they are not allowed to smoke, involve government in the bedroom, etc.

Somewhat or mostly based on their religeon?

 

[J_Wales]

An authentic conservative would be the antithesis to a statist. An authentic conservative would be a classic liberal.

What passes for a conservative today is generally nothing more than a statist made to look like less of a statist by pointing out that another statist is more of a statist.

The classic liberal, by the way, is the one that embraces individual liberty and the accompanying individual responsibility and in return is labeled by the statists and their statist supporters as unelectable.

Many are those that cry for Liberty. Greater by far are those that will do little to nothing for her. Even greater are those that **** their pants when she shows up.

Long live Liberty.

 

[rambone]

i always thought those types were just nosy?

jake

They are.

Somewhat or mostly based on their religeon?

Sometimes based upon their personal religion convictions, and sometimes based on nothing but their desire to uphold the status quo or keep other people from doing things that make them uncomfortable.

Whatever the motivation, Social Conservatism isn't about small government or saving taxpayers money. They are statists in denial.

 

[ghunter]

What passes for a conservative today is generally nothing more than a statist made to look like less of a statist by pointing out that another statist is more of a statist.


Long live Liberty.

Yep. Rep.

(EDIT: Crap! I can't rep you today. I guess everyone's better off if we spread the reps around)

 

[netsecurity]

Well a pure conservative would embrace social conservatism. In other words, ban things that are immoral, tell people what they are not allowed to smoke, involve government in the bedroom, etc.

Right, that would be a Social Conservative, which I oppose. In this country the Christian church is essentially the voice of social conservatism.

Then there is Constitutional Conservative, which seems to be the default meaning of the word conservative here. To preserve the founding principals, and I'm good with that.

Then there is Economic Conservative, and it seems like we all agree here about that one at least. Having smaller guvment, and spending within our means.

And then the basic "right wing" definition, which is to avoid too much change. Opposite of leftist Progressivism, which is to interpret liberally all laws of tbe land based on context.

I would consider pure conservativism a terrible thing, like living with the Amish.

 

[edporch]

I'm just curious about what everyone thinks people should believe before they may call themselves conservative.

If you owned a Conservatives-only Club. What's you're membership requirements?

Is a candidate a "conservative" or a "liberal (socialist)" isn't the question.

The REAL question is, is the candidate a US Constitutionalist?

WHY do I say this?

A "conservative" is one who resists change of the status quo.

With REGARD to following the US Constitution, a "conservative" is little different from a "liberal (socialist)".

BOTH have their own agendas, and BOTH pursue them with little regard for the US Constitution.

MY copy of the US Constitution says "The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government,..." - Article IV Section 4.

Today, BOTH the Republican and Democratic Parties refer to the USA as a "democracy" instead of a "republic" as defined by the US Constitution.

So in reality, even the typical member of the Republican Party isn't a (small "r") republican, but a (small "d") democrat.

Here's a good article about the difference between a republic (as defined by the US Constitution) and a democracy.

Are we a republic or a democracy?

Supporting ANY candidate from ANY party who governs as a (small "d") democrat is one more step in destroying this country.

GIVE ME an Article IV Section 4 "republican"!!

Funny how EVERY officeholder takes a solemn oath to be one, yet few if any ARE one...