Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I Can't Wait.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Whither Conservatism? Part III.

This post is shared with BigDadGib.

The primary season for the 2008 presidential election has been a long and tiring one, both for political junkies and the politicians themselves. With the Republican race winding down, John McCain is the nominee apparent, his ascension a mere formality of garnering enough delegates, despite the continued efforts of Mike Huckabee.

The race has been a tough one for conservatives, as our best candidates fell by the wayside. Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney - each departure seemed to be a nail in the coffin of Reagan conservatism. But conservatism did not begin with Ronald Reagan, no matter how much each Republican candidate tries to be him; indeed, they’ve done everything short of eating a jar of jelly beans on national TV to convince us that they carry his mantle. Likewise it did not end when he left office, though it has certainly been on hiatus in those lofty halls of power.

Thus we have all sorts of conservative pundits coming out with “What now?” articles, while the liberal media chortles with glee over the right-wing crackup. The subjects of these missives run the gamut from discussing the cause of the GOP rift, to calls to rise from the ashes of the old conservatism, to calls to surrender. Even the old liberal standard of “Change!” is being trotted out. However, I reject the notion that American Conservatism needs to change with the times and become the new revolution; that’s just letting liberalism move the goalposts by saying that today’s status quo was yesterday’s innovation. While true enough, I think it’s a mistake to apply that definition of “conservative” to American Conservatism.

American Conservatism is not a stubborn insistence on maintaining the status quo, but rather eschewing change for changes’ sake. It is not resisting all change, but making changes with consideration, where needed, and with wisdom. It is recognizing that though not all are capable of greatness, all should be free to reach for it. It is acknowledging that we are all equal in the eyes of God, with rights that no man or elected body can take away. It embraces a desire to protect those values that anchored the American peoples’ march from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It recognizes that authority is dangerous, and that power corrupts, thus there must be safeguards to protect against a tyranny of the majority.

Thus, I think Michelle Malkin has it right: Get fired up! Let us not be revolutionaries, but let us stoke the fires of patriotism lit by our Founding Fathers. Government does not exist solely from the White House, but from Congress, and in the Statehouse, and from the people. We won’t get a conservative in the White House this November, that much is assured, so why not focus on getting conservatives in Congress? Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that individuals with the most ability will never run for political office, because they will be busy building wealth, and will not be beholden to the crowd. A politician’s primary goal is to get re-elected, so he is behooved to listen to his constituents. Write to your representatives, call them on the phone; demand that they work for conservative principles and values. American Conservatism is and always has been a grass-roots enterprise.

Stop pining for the Gipper, stop sulking over Fred Thompson, and don’t get despondent about John McCain. Take Michelle’s advice: Get fired up!

Happy Valentine's Day!




Your Love Style is Agape



You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner.

Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare.

You are willing to sacrifice your world for your sweetie.

Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you.

For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Whither Conservatism? Part 2.

Mark Steyn hits one out of the park at CPAC. There's no embed feature on the video, so alas, you'll have to follow the link. The first part is the speech, the second is the Q&A. Total time is around 45 minutes or so, but it's worth every minute.

Mark Steyn is one of the most eloquent and witty voices conservatism has, and here he offers up a picture of what the Republican party should be, rather than what it is fast becoming.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Mindless Election Day Fun.

Worn out with Super Tuesday coverage? Live in a state that is not voting today? Then click here for hours of mindless diversion.

Only wannabes go for normal mode - true afficianados know the only way to go is manic. If you're truly desperate then click for a fresh sheet. Go on - you know you want to.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Housekeeping.

Cast your eyes to the right of the screen and you'll notice that I've updated my blogroll. It's been a while since I did some housekeeping here, and there were several blogs sitting in my favorites folder that deserved links. Here's what's gone and what's new.

What's gone:

Fred Thompson - His candidacy is done, and so's his blog.

NeoAuteur - Actually removed this one some time ago, due to that blog's retirement.

Simply Conservative - One of the first blogs to add me to its blogroll; sadly, clicking the link
results in a site not found error.

What's new:

Beauty and Depravity - Eugene Cho's blog. I discovered Eugene's blog via Michelle Malkin during the South Korean hostage crisis last year. Once that situation was over, I found that, while Eugene does not necessarily share my political views, I enjoy reading his blog. He's funny, insightful, Christian, and is not afraid to take shots at himself.

Conservative Propaganda - A conservative blog by a fellow HotAir commenter. Tantor doesn't post often, but when he does it is always well-written, well-researched, and soundly conservative.

Dr. Laura's Blog - Yes, the Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I recently read her book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage, and was amazed at how different it was from the typical marital advice books, which do little more than denigrate men and place primacy on the wife's needs and wants. Dr. Laura acknowledges that a marriage has two people, and problems are not always the fault of the man; sometimes men behave the way they do because of how women treat them. Her blog is as interesting as her book.

Polis Politics - A local blog, focusing solely on Indianapolis, filled with biting commentary towards the Democrats in my hometown.

Shane Vander Hart - A recent addition to my favorites, Shane is a Christian blogger. Check out his recently begun series about abortion.

The Punch Die - A history and numismatics blog by the blogger formerly of The Oxford Medievalist blog (now defunct). Titus is a historian by training, and an obsessive coin collector. His posts are interesting, and he has some great pictures of Roman coins. I never got interested in coins and coinage, being drawn to art and architecture, but the study of coins is an important facet of archaeology, and I'm glad that individuals such as Titus have taken it up (better them than me, heh heh).

The Thirst for Freedom - Another conservative Christian blog. Worth a visit, even though other concerns have kept him from posting much lately.

Use the Oxgoad - Travis Gilbert is a fellow Christian Hoosier, a Baptist minister, and an IU sports nut. Excellent reading, and I love his comment descriptor.

Whither Conservatism? Part I.

Via The Corner: