What is the difference between a Conservative and an Obstructionist?

Question

The dictionary defines them both the same

Conservative - "disposed to preserve existing conditions", "tending to oppose change", "resistant to change"

Obstructionist - "a person who deliberately delays or prevents progress", "someone who systematically obstructs some action that others want to take"

www.dictionary.com

Answer 1

An obstructionist doesn't care about breaking laws openly.
A Conservative would at least claim some crafted reasons.

Answer 2

The devil is in the details.

A Conservative is resistant to change - not against change. Conservatives like to think a proposal through (like a business executive) before going forth with change. It's just being cautious and thorough. Liberals sometimes misunderstand conservatives because conservatives don't move fast enough for them. Problem is, with so many special interest proposals put forth by liberals - conservatives get a headache with all the minutia and media pressure.

As for the meat of your question Conservative/Obstructionist, I disagree with your source definition of Conservative because in the middle phrase "tending to oppose change" the sub phrase "oppose change" is easily taken out of context. Here is my personal version defining conservative.

Conservative - champions preservation of society and culture. Not adverse to change, but averse to change (note the difference). And never to RAPID change.

As far as the comparison of Obstructionist goes, I can see that if you follow your definition of Conservative where you could easily make the connection. In reality though, both parties have their obstructionist political moves.

Answer 3

An obstructionist doesn't fool himself or anyone else about what the goal is. Conservatives think they must safe America by any means necessary.

American conservatism has grown into a cult.Everyone is out to get them and everything that's not slanted to the far right is liberally biased.
Science,truth and facts are all less important than the ideology. Everyone who distracts from the Divine path becomes an enemy and part of the evil outside world.
The few conservatives who are smart and courageous enough to make up their own mind are immediately labeled as traitors or RINO's
It's good to see more and more Americans waking up and realizing they can't take conservatism serious anymore until it rids itself of this cultist spirit

Answer 4

an obstructionist tends to do things on purpose. I think many conservatives have a point. Though there are some things about this country which should be changed, a lot of it is working well.

If it's not broken, don't fix it.

Answer 5

It depends on the context. "Disposed to preserve existing conditions" does not mean the same as "deliberately delays or prevents progress". I suspect that you know that. Progress and change are not synonyms... as all change is not progressive.

Answer 6

I always thought of conservative as in the context of government ie. favoring less government vs. the liberal favoring more. This is the definition I learned in political science and one I prefer. I think most conservatives favor change if it will decrease the size of govt. Most liberals talk about change as a code word for more govt.

I think either side will obstruct any issue they are opposed to.

Answer 7

Delaying progress in the wrong direction would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

Answer 8

Political terms don't do well in the dictionary. Just look up "liberal."

See anything in there that matches current political liberals? Anything about massively increasing the size of gov't, having gov't solve every social ill, increasing taxes?

Answer 9

take it easy
conservative=just bored,stubborn,stupid.
obsructionist =corrupted,harmfull,evil
as evil as only can

Answer 10

Yes, and liberals are suppose to be tolerant and open minded.