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<p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>A friend who has been jumping all over me for the past couple of
years each time I use "conservatism," Republican Party, and GOP
synonymously sent me the following blog link last week so that I would
hopefully Get It as to why I’m wrong. Interesting reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>22
October 2008<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in'><a name=1123965164426803307></a><span
style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#333333'>Changing labels
(jumping ship). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:#333333'>(Warning: election-season emotional reaction ahead. Probability
of craven reversal in a month or so: moderate to high.)<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:#333333'>When I read something like <a
href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/22/congressman-admits-saying-liberals-hate-real-americans-2/">this</a>,
it makes me realize: there are only so many times I can tell people that I'm a
conservative, but not <i>that kind</i> of conservative before it becomes clear
that I'm using the wrong word. Like all words, the meaning of “conservative”
emerges from a complex communal process. It's not mine to control. So do I
spend the next few years putting the word in dissociative quotation marks? Or
do I just let it go free, knowing that if the word does not come back, then we
were never meant to be together in the first place?<br>
<br>
It might be fun to try to keep the word for contrarian purposes, or just out of
sheer stubbornness, but: what's the point?<br>
<br>
>From here on out, if you have to reduce me with your political labels, <i>man</i>,
use a phrase like “centrist, with some conservative sympathies.” Or maybe
“small-government liberal.” Or “traditionally-inclined pluralist.” Even “center-right”
seems like a decent enough label, as it makes intuitive sense to people further
left than me, politically, and signals people to the right of me that I am <i>secretly
liberal</i>.<br>
<br>
Goodbye, conservatism. I'll keep reading your brightest, but I'm getting sick
of your movement.<br>
</span><a
href="http://williamwrites.blogspot.com/2008/10/changing-labels-jumping-ship.html">http://williamwrites.blogspot.com/2008/10/changing-labels-jumping-ship.html</a><span
style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black;
text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:1.2pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>I was mulling
that over when I read the following from one of my favorites:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The Atlantic<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The Daily Dish<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Andrew Sullivan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>26 Oct 2008 08:13 pm<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Republicanism
≠ Conservatism<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>William Randolph <a
href="http://williamwrites.blogspot.com/2008/10/changing-labels-jumping-ship.html">prepares
to jump ship</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;line-height:150%;background:#E9E9E9'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>When I
read something like <a
href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/22/congressman-admits-saying-liberals-hate-real-americans-2/">this</a>,
it makes me realize: there are only so many times I can tell people that I'm a
conservative, but not that kind of conservative before it becomes clear that
I'm using the wrong word. Like all words, the meaning of “conservative” emerges
from a complex communal process. It's not mine to control. So do I spend the
next few years putting the word in dissociative quotation marks? Or do I just
let it go free, knowing that if the word does not come back, then we were never
meant to be together in the first place?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;line-height:150%;background:#E9E9E9'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>It
might be fun to try to keep the word for contrarian purposes, or just out of
sheer stubbornness, but: what's the point?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>John Schwenkler <a
href="http://johnschwenkler.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/dont-go/">urges Randolph</a>
to not take the plunge. I face the dilemma every time I go to a college campus
and speak about conservatism. When you use the c-word among the next generation,
they no longer associate it with small government, individual freedom, humble
faith, balanced budgets, respect for tradition or a strong but prudent foreign
policy. They think of religious fanaticism, big spending, massive debt, and
social intolerance. When I give my stump speech in defense of the conservatism
I lay out in <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&path=ASIN/0060934379&tag=wwwandrewsu0a-20&camp=1789&creative=9325">my
book</a>, there is considerable interest, but it sounds nothing like the
current GOP. I come close to washing my hands of the word as Randolph is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>But remember: we had this word
first. We can and must reclaim it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><a
href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/republicanism-c.html">http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/republicanism-c.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:150%;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Perhaps there’s
hope yet!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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