Are Conservatives Bringing Bush Down? Looks like they may be.

[leftyladyfrommo]

This is interesting. Bush's Whitehouse is going down in flames and the conservatives are trying to keep conservatism from going down with it.

It looks like Bush's own may be bringing him down.

A quote from Christopher Buckley (a conservative)

"Who knew in 2000 that compassionate conservatism meant bigger government, unrestricted government spending, government intrusion in personal matters, government ineptitude and cronyism in disaster relief"

http://www.alternet.org/story/43452/

[SoFlaJet]

1. we NEED true conservatives

the Andrew Sullivan's of the world to NOT just vote for republicans because they're republicans.The Tucker Carlsons and Don Imus' and Joe Scarboroughs of the political world.When they go into the booth how will THEY vote? Don't be distracted by the Nancy Pelosi is for gays rhetoric-vote for what is best for this country.

[helderheid]

9. YES YES YES a thousand times YES we need them!

[formercia]

2. When I knew Chris Buckley

in 1969,he was cleaning boat bottoms at a marina and working with me on an underwater govt. project. He didn't seem very conservative to me at the time, so this statement doesn't surprise me a bit.

[Solly Mack]

3. Who knew? lol Buckley did - but now he, and others like him, want

to pretend Bush lied to them and that Bush isn't a "real" conservative - so please please please - don't blame conservative policy, blame Bush. You see, if you claim he's not a "real" conservative, then Bush failed - not conservative policy.

These same blowhards called his father a "liberal" in an attempt to distance themselves from a failing President and they are labeling Shrub "not a real conservative" in order to distance themselves from the son.

So Poppy Bush was a liberal? And Shrub is not a "real" conservative?

See how they are redirecting the blame? See who they are trying to blame?

However, these same blowhards embraced Bush from the start, and loved it as long as they benefited from his policies - but now that Bush is proving to be unpopular, they are working overtime to disassociate themselves from Bush and to disassociate Bush from all things conservative.

These same blowhards campaigned Bush as a conservative, voted for him as a conservative, and then hailed his coming as a conservative...now they want to cry foul?

I don't think so.

He belongs to them. They're stuck with him.

Bush was everything they wanted - until he wasn't.

And Bush has no problem with this because he accepts that in order for his kind to retain some power they have to pretend he was outside the fold. His father accepted the "liberal" label too...and for the exact same reasons. They'll scapegoat their own as long as the long term outcome results in their followers being able to blame a conservative gone rogue instead of seeing the GOP for what it is, and has been for many, many years.

This is all smoke and mirrors.

[formercia]

5. Bush, the Conservative 'Tar Baby'

:evilgrin:

[Solly Mack]

8. I think some will manage to wipe the Bush off them

but the stink will remain

[bryant69]

6. I agree

I mean there are a few who have been uncomfortable with Bush for a while, but those are a small minority. Most were keen on letting him take them into a new era of permanent majority.

The problem though is that we might well have to let a few off the hook in order to get their support.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Solly Mack]

7. Some will manage to successfully extradite themselves

from wearing the Bush label.

It's too lulling a rationalization to pass up.

I know that - ain't gotta like it though.

[formercia]

11. It would be nice

to see Justice done. Unfortunately, that's not the real World. Let's make a deal. A Treaty of Versailles type solution won't work because we know what that caused.....WWII.

[Solly Mack]

13. No deals from me. However, I fully expect America to deal away justice

I don't define the Treaty of Versailles as justice...that was a deal.

And yes, I know justice has no place in the "real" world. Which is why countries that spout justice as a principle they adhere to really need to stop lying about it. They won't stop lying about it though. They can't - it helps to maintain the illusion.

But I wasn't talking about justice with my other comment - didn't mention it at all. I was talking about the lies people tell themselves in order to feel good about themselves and their politics. I know people will, I expect them to...but I don't have to agree with it and I don't have to like it.

[formercia]

10. The 'Good Germans'

Make an example of a few. Unfortunately, they don't seem to learn for very long. Another generation making the same mistakes because they thought God was on their side.

[KansDem]

14. When these "conservatives" got caught with their hands in the cookie jar

...they try to tell us then they were duped because the cookies turned out to be moldy! Typical Repub behavior, look the other way when you think you'll benefit from Bushista corruption, then complain you were a victim too when that corruption is exposed.

It's an old GOP strategy...

[Solly Mack]

15. Precisely - it's been SOP for a long time now

I was fooled. I was duped. He lied to me

when the shit hits the fans...the excuse umbrella comes out

[formercia]

17. They were all duped by some very clever confidence men.

It's impossible to get reliable help these days......

[Toots]

4. "NOBODY could have Anticipated"

:shrug:

[JHB]

12. They're just trying to avoid reaping what they've sewn

The "personal responsibility" folks just can't admit Bush is the logical extension of their position, not an aberration from it.

[Pragmatic Pilgrim]

16. Yeah, they'll erase his legacy, but not till after Nov. 7

The posts here that say many Conservatives hate Bush are true (at least since he broke the Treasury, started a fake war, and reduced civil rights). I was a member of Republicans for Kerry (I haven't been a Republican since Goldwater, but wearing that button sure made canvassing in '04 a whole lot more effective--no matter who came to the door, we had something in common!), so I was tuned-in to Conservative malaise, and it was deep but silent.

It was silent because--as other posters have correctly observed--they liked being in power.

Now Bush 41 has asked his old pal Baker to form a commission designed to give the Drunken Kid another Daddy Bailout, this time from the brat's Iraq War mess...but not until post-election. In anticipation of that report, the Family Moron has been cutting & running from his "stay the course" crap. That's so he could afford to appear more receptive to the Baker Commission recommendations when they're published. Naturally, he already knows what they will be.

From that point forward, the Conservatives will be allowed to dismantle the Prodigal Son's shameful legacy. They may even be hoping for a Democratic Congress, so they can blame us for doing what must be done. But they're not likely to work overtly against Dubya before the election. They'll just sit on their hands, although they may speak if they're spoken to.

[Hamlette]

18. Bush is NOT conservative, neither are the Neocons.

I always hold my nose when I vote. Jimmy Carter and the Clintons are way too religious for me (Dawkins for Prez!) If I hold my nose and vote for a Dem who turns out to be a Lieberman, will you be as hard on me as you are on the conservatives who are criticizing Bush? Why do many (most, all?) of us here support LaMont but trash Sullivan/Buckley et al?

I can't tell you how pissed I was at Clinton for NAFTA and welfare reform. Those were/are not liberal positions/legislation. There are not many people out there who are correct all the time (like I am ;). But I only dissed him among other Dems, out of party loyalty and discipline. (War is another issue I think. Most Dems were against Vietnam when LBJ was running it. But I don't really expect Republicans to shy away from any war...what with their strong on defense positions.)

Remember the Neocons came from the Democratic party, out of Scoop Jackson's office, the hawk wing of the Dem party during Vietnam. Bush actually tired to run/act like a Scoop Jackson, "strong on defense but compassionate" (get your head around that if you can!) Compassion and conservative have never belonged together so Bush suckered in some people who believed his b-s on that like Kuo and Diliulo, people who believed compassion was the true Christian calling.

The debate I'd love to see is on Reagan. Most of those who have abandoned Bush still love Reagan. It would also be interesting to know if these people would have spoken out while Bush was still popular. Sullivan, and a few others like Paul O'Niell, actually did but there were not many who criticized him until his poll numbers hit the 30s.

The real problem is America is NOT conservative so the only way conservatives can get elected is to be actors or fakes like Bush.