Making conservatism look bad
July 17, 2009 by LD Jackson · 11 Comments
I learned this lesson long ago. There is nothing most people hate worse than a hypocrite. For someone to espouse a particular belief, point of view, philosophy, etc. and then for it to be discovered that they were secretly going against that belief all along is the ultimate insult and a real slap in the face of the people who believed in what they were saying or doing. It certainly does the causes they have been fighting for no good and I would contend that conservatism is in that same boat. From Senator John Ensign to Governor Mark Sanford, it feels like our conservative movement has been stabbed in the back by some of the very people we were looking at as possible leaders.
It has always been a struggle to find a spokesman for conservatism and after Republicans losing the 2008 elections in such a big way, we have since been looking forward to the Congressional elections in 2010 and the Presidential election in 2012. Trying to determine who would best be able to win against the Democrats and then President Obama has been a challenge. Lots of names have been bantered around, especially those of possible Presidential candidates. A lot of polls have already been taken (did I mention I hate polls) to see where they are all faring at this point in time. Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin, and Mark Sanford have all been mentioned. John Ensign was even thrown into the mix, now and again.
One by one, they seem to be going by the way side. Senator Ensign was discovered to have had an affair with one of his staffers and from all indications, it appears he tried to buy her and her husband off to keep the affair out of the public view. Governor Palin has since her own troubles in Alaska and we all know full well the troubles Governor Mark Sanford has been having in South Carolina. Of the three, the Sanford affair is the most troubling to me. He was one of the loudest voices in opposition to a lot of the spending and stimulus packages we have been seeing from Washington. He has always been a very frugal Governor, sometimes to a fault, and he made no bones about it.
When the affair surfaced between Sanford and his mistress in Argentina, it struck a hard blow to the conservative cause. Sanford had always portrayed himself as a man who loved his family and who was a staunch conservative. He incurred no shortage of wrath and ire from some of his state legislators and it’s citizens because he wanted to refuse a lot of the federal money that would be coming from the economic spending and stimulus packages. His stand against accepting the money included writing more than one editorial to national newspapers, explaining exactly why he believed the stimulus was a bad idea. I thought he was doing a fairly good job at explaining and standing up for conservative values. Imagine my surprise when I learned the conservatism only went so far.
The Associated Press is reporting that Sanford’s conservatism did not extend to some of his trips, especially those that took him to Argentina to meet with the woman he has called his soul mate.
Sanford, who once criticized other state officials for costly travel, charged the state more than $37,600 for one first-class and four business-class flights overseas since November 2005, expense records show. Other state employees flew in the back of the plane at a fraction of the price, according to the documents.
It’s no secret that liberal politicians or leaders who act in this manner do not receive the same scrutiny that someone like Mark Sanford does when they pull such a bone headed stunt like this. While that may be unfair, we must keep in mind that liberals were not running around declaring themselves to be a frugal conservative, while at the same time splurging under the public radar.
Just for once, I would like to see a conservative that doesn’t shoot themselves in the foot and at the same time, bloody the conservative cause. Would it be too much to ask for those who are proclaiming themselves to be conservatives to actually practice what they preach? Affairs such as those of Senator Ensign and Governor Sanford does our cause no good and I would contend, great harm. It makes the values and ideals we believe in look and sound cheap when some of the very leaders we are depending on to raise the conservative flag are not even following their own advice.
Something Mike Huckabee said one time has always stuck with me. I was unable to find the exact quote, so I will paraphrase. He was talking about standing up for what we believed in and said that he had no problem with dealing with someone who believed differently than he did, as long as they were consistent in their beliefs. In other words, not doing something completely different behind everyone’s backs. Maybe we should take that advice to heart and find someone who is conservative in more than name only.
Conservative Republicans are having a rough time of it right now, trying to find their footing among a party that seems to be bent on going more and more moderate. Yes, we have to compromise at times, but we should not have to compromise ourselves away from conservatism. We need someone to step forward and be willing to fly the conservative flag not only in name, but in deeds as well. If the past few weeks and months are any indication, the upcoming elections in 2010 and 2012 do not bode well for conservatives.
Hey Larry, I take exception to much of the premise of this piece. But it does sound a lot like a good description of how liberals want to paint conservatives, not the reality however.
I hate to mention polls but Republicans are looking better and better in them and Democrats are looking worse and worst and worser day by day. Six months after Obama takes office is a bit early for Republicans to select who their candidate is for 2012 don’t you think?
I don’t recall Democrats picking Obama right after the 2004 election loss… relax dude, have a little faith in the conservative silent majority.
-red
red stater´s last blog ..Where Have All Those Days Gone?
Red Stater,
I think you have misunderstood what I was trying to say in my article. I am not of the opinion that Republicans should already be choosing who will face President Obama in 2012, but there are a lot of polls being taken to determine who would be the front runner at any given point in time. I think it is silly, but that is the way it is.
My real point, and one that I may have failed to make, is how conservatives are being plagued with so many scandals. Two of the top conservatives in the country have been sidelined by their own actions, actions that went completely against the conservative values they espoused. That makes conservatism look bad, in my opinion. We still have a lot of time before 2010 and 2012, but all the time in the world will do us no good if we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot as we have been doing.
I’ve got to agree with you, Larry. The disparity between how conservative scumbags and liberal scumbags are handled by the media is appalling, yes, but our folks are held to a higher standard because they themselves hold to a higher standard.
I, too, am ready for a real leader in the conservative movement who is “above reproach”. Will that be Mike Huckabee, or someone else? I can understand Sarah Palin’s reasons for resigning, but it seems to me that it will hurt her ‘brand’ tremendously, at least for 2012.
MuskogeePolitico´s last blog ..Follow-up on July 13th City Council Meeting – Part 2
It pains me to agree with Red but the clock is working to conservatives advantage right now. The economy is not looking any better though optimistic forecasts see a turnaround by year-end and the stock market is behaving markedly better. Congress is struggling with the health care program and with each day it seems to get watered down a bit more. The idea of financing health care thru tax increases on the wealthy strikes me a slap in the face to Obama who said he wanted health care reform to be self-financing; but Harry Reid put the kibosh on taxing health benefits. Unemployment is at 9.5% and could soon hit the ugly number — 10%. Gun rights activists have had major success on several fronts and neither Democrats in Congress nor Obama have said boo much to the chagrin of Obama’s loyal liberal base. Many environmentalists are disappointed with the climate change bill charging it was watered down beyond recognition. And gay rights groups are extremely disappointed that Obama hasn’t used his mandate to implement greater change as promised during the campaign. All of this is reflected in polls that have seen Obama’s popularity slip considerably while Pelosi is chastised by Dems for being overbearing and arrogant.
No, conservatives aren’t faring any better these days and I’d still argue that demographics are not the friend of the conservative movement. But the failure of most of the presumptive contenders leaves openings for people yet to surface on the national stage in the same way Carter, Clinton, and Obama arose so quickly. Is there are Republican governor out there with the gravitas to grab the stage? Don’t know but there’s plenty of time for him/her to come out of the closet (pardon the pun — I couldn’t help myself).
Mike,
You do make some very valid points, but I stand by the point I was trying to make in the article. No matter how bad the economy is in 2010 and 2012, conservatives will be in a very poor shape to take advantage of it and move back into power, if they continue to pull some of the stunts they have been pulling. The very men and women who should be the ones advancing our cause are the ones who continue to make it look bad by their very actions.
Red Stater said: relax dude, have a little faith in the conservative silent majority.
Well, if you remember, the conservative silent majority didn’t help McCain beat Obama last November…
I do agree with Red and Mike one the fact that 2010 is looking to be a pretty good year for the GOP… if we can get a grip and not make any disastrous mistakes between now and then. We’ve got ‘94 potential, if we can just hold things together, get some real leadership, and start getting good ideas.
MuskogeePolitico´s last blog ..Follow-up on July 13th City Council Meeting – Part 2
I’m not going to try to call 2010 at this point. Frankly, it looks to me like it’s a race between whether the GOP or the Dems will commit suicide first. Smart money might be on the Whigs winning big if the two major parties keep on their present paths.
I’m with you, Larry. The reason I left the Republican Party back in 1995 was because I was tired of saying that the Republicans upheld values not upheld by the party’s leaders. I’d like to see a conservative who really says what he means and means what he says. Gov. Huckabee still looks like the real deal, and he looks to be alone in that category a lot of the time.
To be fair … Republicans should be held to a higher standard. The GOP is the one that ran with the “Character Counts” campaign. In 1992, we asserted that Clinton’s adultery made him unfit for the White House. If we meant it about Clinton, then we can’t overlook it for the likes of Giuliani, Gingrich, Sanford, etc.. If we didn’t mean it (as I once heard Gov. Huckabee say) then we owe Clinton an apology.
Wickle´s last blog ..The dumbest generation is yet to come …
Wickle,
Thanks for your comment. I think you should be writing my blog because you said it much better than did I . I have a major problem with how so-called conservatives put Bill Clinton through the ringer about his actions. Not that I am taking up for him mind you, but Newt Gingrich was a hypocrite because he was as guilty as sin. He had no business going after Clinton the way he did. People who call themselves conservatives and act the way some of them have acted are doing the conservative cause absolutely no good.
“Well, if you remember, the conservative silent majority didn’t help McCain beat Obama last November…” That is the point my friend, McCain wasn’t/isn’t a conservative…. remember, he’s a “Maverick”. Looks like there weren’t enough mavericks out there… not conservatives.
The majority of the country (according to the recent major polls) considers itself “conservative” not liberal, not Indy, not Greeny.. not Maverick… but conservative.
red stater´s last blog ..Nonpartisan… Just LikeThe NonPartisan League?
Larry said… “My real point, and one that I may have failed to make, is how conservatives are being plagued with so many scandals.”
Okay Larry, let’s take this one apart alright?
Your statement is “Conservatives are being plagued with scandals”.
First we need to accept that all men and all women sin… and therefore are subject to scandal under the right conditions. Democrats and Republicans alike.
Next we need to look at who is reporting things and how they are reporting and when they are reporting it as scandal and who is not reporting other things as scandals.. the media is biased against conservatives and Christians and are far more likely to report on a conservative scandal than a Democrat scandal… that is just the fact.
“plagued with scandals”… since everyone is guilty of making mistakes, it comes down to who is doing the reporting and judging and who is getting a pass..
If you are expecting men and women to start behaving like Gods just because they are on the side that we believe is right, then you (like the left and the media) are setting a standard that is unattainable by any human being.
The difference is we (conservatives) hold our elected officials accountable while Democrats and the left give their politicians a medal and a promotion for their scandals.
red stater´s last blog ..Nonpartisan… Just LikeThe NonPartisan League?
Of course I don’t expect men and women to start behaving like God. All I want is for them to live up to the standards they have set, that they say they believe in. Is that too much to ask?
Yes, I know the media seems to be very biased towards the liberal side of the political spectrum, but that is not the issue here. It is the behavior of so-called conservatives and how it has damaged the conservative cause. If conservatives insist on acting like a bunch of idiots, then how can we expect the general public to want to vote for them?