What is "conservative" to you?

[Amelia]

For me "conservative" is at least as much a state of mind as it is ideology and implies a certain amount of moderation.

Sharp changes left or right wouldn't be conservative ... to me.

A lot of Tea Party people don't feel conservative to me because they want to make sudden changes in policy and programs and the tax base and so on.


And of course Obama isn't conservative in spite of the people on his side who try to claim that he's actually been acting like a Republican.



So eneeeway ... what's your definition of "conservative".

I'd prefer to hear mostly from right-leaning posters. I don't relish rdean-style snark. But whatever.

 

[Sherry]

A conservative government is one which avoids excess; restrained and limited.

 

[oreo]

For me "conservative" is at least as much a state of mind as it is ideology and implies a certain amount of moderation.

Sharp changes left or right wouldn't be conservative ... to me.

A lot of Tea Party people don't feel conservative to me because they want to make sudden changes in policy and programs and the tax base and so on.


And of course Obama isn't conservative in spite of the people on his side who try to claim that he's actually been acting like a Republican.



So eneeeway ... what's your definition of "conservative".

I'd prefer to hear mostly from right-leaning posters. I don't relish rdean-style snark. But whatever.

Well you heard Mitt Romney's reply in the Tampa, FL debate when he was asked what was conservatism.

Romney answered with: --he had 5 kids and that even though he lost to Ted Kennedy--Kennedy had to take out a second mortgage on his house to beat him"---

 

[Intense]

Conservatives = Conserve. We build on what works, Constitutional Principles based on Federalism. Separation Of Powers, Accountability, Transparency. Government by the Consent of the Governed. We Champion Individual Liberty, Unalienable Right, we do not demand It's Sacrifice for the will of the Collective.

 

[JoeB131]

1) Limited, efficient government.
2) Traditional values.
3) Strong defense and a pro-active foreign policy.
4) Paying your debts, not running up deficits.

There are some contradictions on this list if not properly managed. A strong defense requires a larger government than I would like. And while I am for traditional values, I'm not thrilled with the notion of the government telling a woman she can't have an abortion, for instance. That would be an overreach.

 

[editec]

What is "conservative" to you?

Somebody who wants to preserve the best of what is, and reluctantly is willing to listen to ideas that might change the system where it needs change or help preserve that which is worth keeping.

That's the approach to governance a REAL conservative has in my opinion.

That's not the approach that many of today's self proclaiming conservatives actually have, though.

In fact many of todays self proclaiming conservative are not conservatives at all.

They're radicals advancing enormous changes to the system that they CLAIM represent the best of the past.

 

[California Girl]

Conservatives Conserve. We build on what works, Constitutional Principles based on Federalism.Separation Of Powers, Accountability, Transparency. Government by the Consent of the Governed. We Champion Individual Liberty, Unalienable Right, we do not demand It's Sacrifice for the will of the Collective.

In other words, we're Classical Liberals of old.

 

[naturegirl]

Conservatives Conserve. We build on what works, Constitutional Principles based on Federalism.Separation Of Powers, Accountability, Transparency. Government by the Consent of the Governed. We Champion Individual Liberty, Unalienable Right, we do not demand It's Sacrifice for the will of the Collective.

"Build on" are key words here. Some on the left would like to believe Conservatives don't want to move forward, if that were the case the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil Rights Act, the 15th and 19 amendments wouldn't have happened.

 

[wizzjizzo]

A conservative politican to me is 1 who is influenced by design to make decisions a certain way in favor of individual working groups and furthermore apply unilateral thinking to all problems to probe the plus and minus to create a solution in profitable design thus to conserve values and to believe in responsibility to benefit for the leadership of other people. Conservatism has many sides and modes of actions but i think the conservative has the best intentions towards work and letting people know motivation can pay off if you work together.


i did some research on bane capital the company mit romney oversees. I came across a very old word used centuries ago in england/wales where he is partly from, the word is "BANE"
I found it ironic or befitting of the orientation of the nature in which bane or bain capital works etc. The word BANE means the bringer of death or the one who brings death to all.
How inspiring but scary the company means what it is designed to acomplish, bring about the end of businesses. It does what it says on the tin if you find it that is. I wonder does he know that or just coincidence or does it even matter or could it be egotistical busines logic. No conclusions what so ever i just though i would mention that. Is that conservative or being moderate or republican or just something else?