You know Daveman, I am more of a conservative than you, Toomey or any of the other right wing authoritarians who call themselves 'conservative'.
I was raised in the 1950's. My dad was the sole provider, and my mom was a housewife and mother. It wasn't called 'family values', it was just family. When I came home from school, no matter what kind of day I had, it immediately became brighter when I walked in the door to an enthusiastic 'Hi honey' from my mom. It not only brightened my day, it helped build self worth and create and reinforce a positive self image. All my friends and school mates had a similar story...a father that worked and a mother that stayed home to raise and nurture their children. None of us kids ever knew or even cared what anyone's father did for a living. None of us had to go without; food, clothing, pets, bikes, baseball gloves, doctor care (our doctor used to come to the house), a real quality education with all the extras; sports, arts, school run ice rink, summer basketball programs etc. But none of us were pampered or spoiled either.
THAT is exactly what I want for my kids and for my grand-kids.
So, what is conservatism? In my opinion, it is respect for the past and the wisdom of our ancestors. Their lives were built on their ancestors and so it goes, from one generation to the next. You ultimately respect the lives and toil of our ancestors not by paying lip service or using empty rhetoric like 'family values'. You do it by embracing their lessons learned; respecting the policies, regulations and programs they crafted that increased the benefits and lessened the losses in our communities and our society we reap the benefits of.
How did our ancestors craft them, were they based on some 'ideology'? I believe they were based on common sense, common decency, experience, trial and error, community activism, elections and community involvement.
So...In a very real way I AM truly a conservative.
Are ANY of the people that now call themselves conservatives today looking for common sense, common decency solutions to benefit their families and their community, or are they ideologues, that want to dismantle any shred of COMMunity and replace it with SELF interest?
That is not 'conservatism', that is narcissism.
"You shall rise in the presence of grey hairs, give honor to the aged, and fear God, I am the Lord"
Leviticus 19:32
FYI: True conservatives don't support Obama.
Many prominent conservatives supported Obama in 2008. But you right wing authoritarian followers now call them RINO's They were trying to tell you something.
Republican elected officials who endorsed Obama
Former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson[24]
Former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee.[25] Two years later, he was elected Governor of Rhode Island as an Independent - Obama's avowed neutrality in the race was viewed by some, including the Democratic nominee, [26] as a tacit endorsement of Chafee.
Former Minnesota Senator David Durenberger supported John Kerry in the 2004 election, leaving the Republican Party. He now supports Obama.[27]
Former Oklahoma Congressman Mickey Edwards voted for Obama; announced one day after the election.
Former Kansas Congressman, Nixon Administration Deputy Secretary of Defense and United States Permanent Representative to NATO Robert F. Ellsworth[28]
Former Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (who was an outgoing incumbent at the time) told WBAL-TV that he voted for Obama in a January interview.[29]
Former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton, father-in-law of former Governor Tim Kaine (D-VA)[30]
Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach[31]
Former Maryland Senator Charles Mathias, Jr.[32] Mathias was a liberal Republican who was often at odds with the conservative wing of the party as a senator.
Former South Dakota Senator Larry Pressler[33]
Former Connecticut Governor and Senator Lowell Weicker. Weicker left the Republican Party in 1988 after a campaign in which prominent Republicans supported his opponent, Joe Lieberman. He supported Democrat Bill Bradley in 2000 and Howard Dean in 2004 for the presidency.
Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld[34]
Mayor Lou Thieblemont of Camp Hill, Penn. Thieblemont switched his party registration from Republican to Democrat so that he could vote for Obama in the Pennsylvania primary.[35]
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker endorsed Obama and delivered a speech on the second day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Other national Republican figures who endorsed Obama
Ken Adelman, former diplomat, director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and member of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board[36]
Wick Allison, former publisher of National Review, [37]
Jack Antaramian, Florida real estate developer and Bush fundraiser[38]
William Donaldson, former Chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission under George W. Bush (2003–05)[39]
Ken Duberstein, former Reagan chief of staff [40]
Julie Nixon Eisenhower, daughter of former President Richard Nixon, granddaughter-in law of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower and president of the Eisenhower Institute.[41][42] After endorsing Obama, Eisenhower announced on August 21, 2008 that she was leaving the Republican Party.[43]
Charles Fried, former U.S. Solicitor General and former McCain advisor.
CC Goldwater, granddaughter of former Arizona Senator and Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater (endorsing Barack Obama on behalf of herself, her sibling, and some of her cousins)[44][dead link]
Lilibet Hagel, wife of Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)[45]
Rita E. Hauser, Former White House intelligence advisor for George W. Bush[31]
Actor and former Bush supporter Dennis Hopper
Larry Hunter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Innovation and Chief Economist for the Free Enterprise Fund, former Reagan policy advisor[46]
Rear Admiral John Hutson, USN (ret.), former Judge Advocate General of the Navy and the current dean and president of Franklin Pierce Law Center.[47][48]
Legal scholar Douglas Kmiec[49]
Scott McClellan, White House Press Secretary under George W. Bush from 2003–2006. Author of controversial book, What Happened.
Tricia Mosley, former staffer to Senator Strom Thurmond[50]
Paul O'Neill, United States Secretary of the Treasury from 2001–02 under George W. Bush[51]
Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[14]
Libby Pataki, former First Lady of New York from 1995–2007.[citation needed]
David Ruder, Chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission under President Ronald Reagan [39]
Radio Host Michael Smerconish[52] Later switched to Independent.
Tag Tognalli, former Reagan White House Staff, 1981–1989 and Connecticut McCain Delegate to 2000 Republican National Convention.[53]
Support for Obama from writers affiliated with conservatism
Andrew Bacevich, Professor of International Relations at Boston University.[54]
Christopher Buckley, author, son of conservative figure William F. Buckley, Jr.[55]
Francis Fukuyama, author, key figure in the rise of neoconservatism and loosely affiliated with conservatism.[56] Fukuyama left the neoconservative movement following the Iraq War and supported John Kerry in the 2004 election.[57]
Jeffrey Hart, senior editor of National Review magazine.[58]
Dorothy King, archeologist, author, and conservative blogger.[59]
Scott McConnell, editor of the American Conservative,[60] a magazine associated with Patrick Buchanan. (McConnell had also endorsed John Kerry in 2004.)
John Patrick Diggins, distinguished professor of history at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Writing in the American Conservative, Diggins wrote "I prefer the professor to the warrior."
Andrew Sullivan, commentator and author of The Conservative Soul, who had also endorsed John Kerry in 2004.[61][62]
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