What about this great conservative?

Question

Barry Goldwater was considered the father of the modern conservative movement. His work was considered vital to Ronald Reagan's election.

In later life, he went on to tick off conservatives by supporting equal rights for gays.

A quote:

"The oldest philosophy in the world is conservatism, and I go clear back to the first Greeks. ... When you say 'radical right' today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party away from the Republican Party, and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye."

Will true conservatives like this ever return?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/may98/goldwater072894.htm

Answer 1

I hope so. I'm sure there are some out there, but unfortunately, they are likely less popular so don't get as much press as the ones we all know and love to hate. The below article (written by a conservative) expresses the ideas brought up by Goldwater quite well. Too bad there are not more of these guys in the forefront. I don't agree with him on everything, but he is at least thoughtful about it.

Answer 2

Well it's a problem you see because of Ronald Reagan among other things. He was the right guy at the right point in history to reshape the party - remember this is where the solid south switched sides. Under him & since it has become a big tent coalition. Today most republicans are NOT philosophically conservative in the strictest sense. There is the religious regulation of morals crowd, which is conservative in belief but not in the way they want to execute policy. There is the neo-conservative crowd that bought into the dems idea of big powerful govt & federalism & central control. There are the strictly libretarians who mostly agree with the religious right on morals, but are total opposites on interfering in people's lives to protect them. There's single issue folks on gay marriage, or church & state, or abortion, or courts, or fiscal spending, or social programs, you name it. And of course there's combinations of all the above plus a few I left out.

I'd say the majority of republicans are more libretarian leaning philosophically with a few key issues where they could be called conservative. As such, NO, a total conservative could not rise to that prominance again in our party. Which is good cause as a southern libretarian anti-federalist conservative on defense republican I don't like him at all.

Answer 3

No. The conservative ideology, like the liberal ideology still recognizes that the importance of conservatism (or liberalism) is to build consensus and coalition. If the only means for forming that coalition is through religion, then the ends justify the means and conservative then means religious right.

By the same token, if building consensus and coalition on the left means atheism or defacto anti religion, then that is the path that liberals must make to achieve consensus and coalition.

The fact that true conservatism or liberalism may never emerge again is beside the point.

The objective of building coalition and consensus is the end goal.

Answer 4

Alice Cooper Prince Gloria Estefan Gene Simmons Meat Loaf Dave Mustaine The coastline Boys Neil Peart Charlie Daniels Gretchen Wilson 50 Cent Avenged Sevenfold James Hetfield Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and that i did not even ought to educate Ted Nugent.

Answer 5

You're grasping at straws, dumbass. Why is Lieberman leaving the Dem party? Why did we have democrats at the Repub convention in 2004!

You go ahead and worry about Barry Goldwater, freak. LMAO

Conservative means traditional, and that's what conservatives are for. Meanwhile, liberals like you are becoming bigger and bigger COWARDS and call defense "fascism".

Answer 6

goldwater, back in'64--he actually seemed to be a reasonably sincere and sane fellow; something the current republicans of any wing can barely match. and, needless to say, someone who makes the current christo- fascist wing look like they should be institutionalized. while i'm apolitical, if i had to chose a role model for the party, he'd be a thoughtful selection.

Answer 7

Doubtful. US politics has been hijacked by greed and power-lust. The founding ideals are paid only lip service. Only money and control are even given attention in today's political atmosphere.. :\