Brent Bozell was hardly alone yesterday in touting new polls showing a surge for conservatism in reaction to Barack Obama's forever-lengthening statist agenda. Also making the rounds is Nile Gardiner's blog for the Telegraph (of the UK) suggesting President Obama has failed to defeat American conservatism:
This week’s striking Gallup poll on political ideology is further confirmation that the United States is in essence a conservative nation, which has ironically become even more conservative under Barack Obama. According to Gallup, 40 percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36 percent as moderate and 20 percent as liberal. This is the first time conservatives have outnumbered moderates in America since 2004.
These are staggering figures when you consider that the Left currently dominates the Executive Branch of the US Government, both Houses of the United States Congress, the federal bureaucracy, huge swathes of local government in many big cities, academia, the public school system, and most of the establishment broadcast and print media in America. The figures show there is a huge disconnect between the American public and those who wield much of the political power in the country.
After running through the Gallup numbers, Gardner concluded:
Last November, liberal commentators wrote off conservatism in America as dead and buried. As the latest Gallup poll shows they were spectacularly wrong. It is no coincidence that the most watched news network, the top selling national newspaper, and the most listened to radio shows in the United States are now all conservative.
The success of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, is a powerful symbol of a vigorous challenge to current liberal dominance of Washington. The vast conservative blogosphere is also an increasingly influential force, from National Review’s The Corner to The Drudge Report, as are leading conservative commentators such as Charles Krauthammer. Combine that with a huge rise in membership this year for grass roots conservative groups campaigning against higher taxes, socialized health care, increased government spending, and defence cuts, and you have the foundations of another conservative revolution.
The spirit of Ronald Reagan is alive and well in America, exemplified by strong public backing for the principles of limited government, free enterprise, individual responsibility and a strong defence. The White House should sit up and take note: it is liberalism, and not conservatism, that is in decline in the United States.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Hey Mr. President!
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:00 ET by GeneralAlHey Mr. President, did you understand that mesage? It didn't come from FOX news, either! It came from one of our allies' news sources! We're not dead! We've regrouped and are on the attack for the War of 2010!
Maybe if we had any real
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:07 ET by rmbltmblMaybe if we had any real conservative leaders the number would grow on principles instead of to spite liberalism. Heaven forbid we do not have Dem/Repub/Dem/Repub though, look at where it has gotten us!
Obama has failed to defeat American conservatism:
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:10 ET by sic721And to paraphrase an old 7-Up commercial,
"Never do it, Never will! Bwaaahahahahaa!"
"These are staggering
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:15 ET by JohnM"These are staggering figures when you consider that the Left currently dominates the Executive Branch of the US Government, both Houses of the United States Congress, the federal bureaucracy, huge swathes of local government in many big cities, academia, the public school system, and most of the establishment broadcast and print media in America."
I wonder if any US liberal reading this will wake up and realize that they are NOT "centrist", and that not only we on the right, but the rest of the world, sees them as they are, and where they are.
Obama and his henchmen are
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:27 ET by celatorObama and his henchmen are making the biggest political mistake of their fat cat lives by their over the top public attacks on conservatives, moderates, radio hosts, hospitals, insurance companies, the Chamber of Commerce, and all those who disagree with their agenda. It's an endless enemies list, it would seem.
Now all those groups and people have a common political enemy. And they are more united than ever before. Thanks for unifying us, Obama. Now go play some golf.
No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.
Why is it?
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:48 ET by KC MulvilleTake a minute to reflect on why the country is predominantly conservative, but the Republican party is basically shut out of government. If you assume that Republicans and conservatives are the same thing, this would be a mystery. But obviously, the political shutout of the Republican party isn't because they're conservative; it's because the GOP has failed to deliver for conservatives.
The GOP establishment (and the media) keep telling us that we have to attract moderates, and therefore we have to surrender our principles. But then the moderates and liberals keep voting moderate and liberal ... so why would that attract conservatives? Sure, I can see how that would help GOP establishment officials to wield power. How would it help conservatives? The whole party logic is a fraud.
As we saw yesterday with Mike Allen of Politico, most political professionals treat conservatives as a "wing" of the party, much like Sinn Fein is the political wing of a bigger group called the IRA. And it's probably true that these same political pros treat minorities, unions, and academics as "wings" of the Democrat party, not as interested groups of their own right.
As it now stands, political parties in this country are coalitions of various interest groups, but the members of the coalition have no say in the running of the party. Instead, the party leaders wield power for their own sake, not to advance the ideals of any of their members. And frankly, that's their twisted logic: the parties want the interest groups to serve their purposes, rather than serving the purposes of the interest groups. That's why party officials (like Newt Gingrich) want the interest groups to shut up and just vote GOP, like good little sheep.
This country was founded on the principle that government exists merely for the convenience of the citizens, not as an independent interest on its own. It seems the parties need to learn the same lesson.
With what you are saying KC,
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 07:54 ET by rockyracoonWith what you are saying in your post KC, I think that is why there is a lot of growing interest in the NY 23rd congressional district election.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
Only Up Or Down
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 11:44 ET by miss911ninjaExpanding on your statement, KC, that the country was founded on the principle that government should exist for the convenience of its citizens, it should be noted that a central government was intended as a last resort to address issues that could not be resolved by individuals, municipalities, or states, in that ascending order.
The Founders used the symbol of the eagle and its two wings to illustrate how they believed government should "fly." They recognized that both wings had a function, one monitoring the unfulfilled needs of the people and attempting to meet those needs with comprehensive plans, and the other (conservative) wing examining the affordability of the plans and how they might effect the people's rights and freedoms.
The Founders understood that the American eagle could fly on a straight course and soar to new heights only if both wings were equally strong. The crippling of either the left wing or the right wing would cause a drift toward extremism, or worse. As Ronald Reagan put it: "There's no left or right, there's only up or down."
The liberal commentators mentioned in the article who "wrote off conservatism in America as dead and buried" were wrong of course. But what's disturbing is that they hoped it was true.
"KC"
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 08:39 ET by mad53PAExcellent Post.
Republicans and their leaders have muddled the Conservative message (McCain in 2008) to a point where there is very little distinction between the Democrats and themselves.
People want clear and precise positions, not sorta different or kinda not the same as the opposition.
There is a void that a strong "Conservative" leader can fill and rally independants and Reagan Democrats as well as the conservative base.
Conviction and the execution of that conviction into policy is what this nation is yearning for.
Hopefully, that leader or leaders will begin to step forward and be aggressive and not apologize for the values that made this country great.
A note about leaders - we were spoiled
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 09:02 ET by KC MulvilleFor many years, conservatism was defined by Buckley and Reagan. There have been no replacements.
Conservatism had a clear ideology shaped by the Buckleys, the Friedmans, Hayeks, just to name a few. But that generation has passed, and this next generation simply isn't as vigorous as they were. Plus, this new generation of conservative thinkers has been dulled by success. Think about it: Buckley's fervor was broiled by the ravages of the Great Society and post-FDR liberalism, not to mention the omnipresent threat of communism. This generation grew up mostly after the Cold War, with the Laffer curve in ascendancy, and the major opponent has been ... who, Bill Clinton? (Who succeeded mostly because he wasn't as liberal as other Democrats.)
When I think about how conservatives are supposed to think, I rarely refer to anyone in this generation. That says something. We were spoiled by Buckley and Reagan.
Moderates?
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 10:12 ET by Patriot IIThat is just another wimpy copout for sitting on the fence and unable to make up their mind.......either you are a socialist liberal or a God fearing , constitution loving, family loving, American......or as the idiot in charge of home land security says...a terrorist...but then she wasn't much as gov of arizona.....must be the water in washington that makes them go insane, you think? ;)
All this despite our
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 10:24 ET by G. MayAll this despite our liberal media "elites" trying to dictate to conservatives and Republicans what their status, message, politics, and platforms should be. And also despite many in the Republican party who seem to listen to these clowns instead of their constituency.
The Republican base is quite large and nowhere near as granular as the leftist/left wing/liberal/progressive Democrats are.
Leftist/liberal/progressive/Democrats---
Wed, 10/28/2009 - 22:30 ET by matthewdeanLots of interesting thoughts and comments running through the thread.
After reading John M.s' post - "---the Left currently dominates the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, both Houses of the U.S. Congress, the Federal Bureaucracy, huge swathes of local government in many big cities, Academia, the Public School System, and most of the establishment broadcast and print media in America.", ---
I was reminded of a conversation I had many years ago with two of my brothers, both Viet Nam veterans; one an Army Ranger who did two tours, the other an Air Force Combat Controller, who did one tour.
Both count the Purple Heart as one of their many medals, and this conversation took place so long ago that the scars from their wounds were still a purplish color.
We had gotten on the outside of numerous beers, which resulted in two normally reticent individuals telling war stories. I was privy to some things I found hard to believe
I do not mean to offend any ethnic group by using the words necessary in telling this short tale, I merely use the language as it was presented then, in 1969.
My brother the Ranger said that when his group was attacked one night by the Viet Cong at a forward firebase, the most chilling words he ever heard in his life, he heard that night.
"The gooks are inside the wire."
I cannot help but think, relative leftist/liberal/progressive/Democrats:
"The bastards are inside the wire."
One can only hope, if our borders here are the equivalent of the sentry wire in Nam, that the damage is held to a minimum.
MD
"I may not agree with what your bumper sticker says, but I will defend to the death your right to stick it." (Unknown)