What Abraham Lincoln & co. had put together ...
... President George Bush, Dick Cheney and the Neo-Conservatives (together with the Dixiecrats who populate the modern day Republican Party) have now put asunder.
Labels: Conservatism, Politics, Republicanism
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 12:08 AM
3 Comments:
Osi:
Other than a few holdouts in Mississippi (Trent Lott, for ex.) I'm not sure who the dixiecrats are in the party.
The neo-cons (for whom I have a lot of respect) have definitely led us into the war and since it's going badly, the old Powell doctrine ("you break it, you own it") is in full force. I'm not sure the completely invalidates much of their thought, but it does at least make it arguable.
Regardless, you see neocons as one faction and dixiecrats as another. What are the other wings of the GOP?
As for Dixiecrats, I am NOT just speaking of their Leaders, like Lott, but non Leaders, too. The category of Republicans that's left is the one that has REAL Conservatives (and I count myself amongst them, and you too, I suspect, oh Cyber one), in the mold of Abraham Lincoln (Salmon P. Chase and William H Seward round up the original three)!
Osi:
I appreciate the compliment. I'm a huge Lincoln fan. I know less about Seward (though his role as Sec State amid decades of American expansion is appealing) and even less about Chase (other than a little about his politics.)
It's interesting that you and I both have been on the record pretty consistently looking backwards for GOP Guidance to the Age of Lincoln (to use the tite of an upcoming book.)
I think we've also both looked back at the Henry Clay era for guidance.
It appears that Reaganism, which was a response to the ridiculous excesses of the counter culture, the welfare state, domestically, and against communism internationally, has less relevance today. I truly admire Reagan, but just don't find as much in his career that would give me guidance in statecraft as Lincoln's career does.
Why do you think that's the case? Lincoln seemed to follow in the tradition of Whigs like Clay and Federalists like Hamilton; both of whom supported a robust effort to provide economic freedom and opportunity to the common man.
Is personal freedom and the related opportunity aspects that which unites us as conservatives? We believe in issues of morality and we stand opposed to the ridiculous efforts to impose liberal policies on our families, but we're also freedom loving Christians who don't use our morality as a sword and who don't fear that which is different as long as it isn't forced down our kids throats.
Just exploring some themes here... what are your thoughts?
CHb
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