Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Hey, nice going there Stephen; I notice that your first post dates back to just before Katrina. Too bad I didn’t know you existed back then! How many other known conservatives were making their true feelings known back then? Me thinks that if there had been a few more, Obama and McCain wouldn’t be running for president today…

It’s a pity that few conservatives were listening.
The fact is, however, that EVEN NOW they’re not listening. The GOP leadership is completely clueless about what went wrong.
Renouncing torture, embracing real SPENDING limits (not just tax limits), ditching earmarks, ending the Iraq War, winning the al-Qaeda war, ethics, respecting science and facts, respecting the rule of law at home (signing statements anyone?), basic governing competence and remembering that citizenship doesn’t come in just one pale color might be a start.
They don’t need to become Liberals or Democrats to win, but they sure need to become actual conservatives again, instead of Bushists.
Noonan’s most devastating observation is that Republicans have been pretending to be conservatives.

Good work Professor.  Yes you were one of the few who saw the dangers early on.  At least you didn’t morph in to a full blown Democrat Obamaphile like some did or flail around in panic like some cons are doing now. 

You remain a lonely voice of principaled conservatism and excellent value wine choices.

Well while you and Peggy Noonan are patting your respective selves on your back, contemplate the further ruination yet to come. Peggy longs for the ancien regime of Ronald Reagan; the Republicans in Congress are mainly a sort of “Democrat light” version of the Pelosi-Reid gang.  If McCain prevails the Republican “brand” will be no more. He’s already climbed on the global warming bus; his ideas on campaign finance reform have been plain goofy etc. I’ll hold my nose and vote for him; but it may be better to let Ms. Clinton or Obama have the keys to the White House--and see how the country likes being driven over the cliff with the “Demos” in charge. Those turkeys Pelosi and Reid then won’t know who to blame--but they will look at the wreckage and say “It was not our fault”.

"Those turkeys Pelosi and Reid then won’t know who to blame--but they will look at the wreckage and say “It was not our fault”.”

Sorta like the Republicans are doing now?

It is a little too facile to blame it only on Bush, though.  The 2002 farm bill was a betrayal of principles and mostly the work of the Congressional party, not Bush.

There’s lots of blame to go around.  I personally put a lot of blame on the exit of principled and intelligent members like Rep. Dick Armey from Congress and the ascendancy of hacks like Tom DeLay and Trent Lott.

Bush is an idiot who couldn’t break anything on his own.  He was enabled by the not-so-great conservative mass-mind that swallowed the myth in 2000 and stayed faithful in 2004 even though it was obvious to all rational observers that his first term was a freaking disaster.

Now the Noonans and so forth are running like rats from the ship they were so proud of just a couple of years ago.  Dumbya Bush is a loser, and conservatism never loses, so VOILA!  He is no longer a conservative!  Never was one.

It’s contemptible and gutless and reveals the “conservative movement” as a pack of worthless me-first vermin.  So much for “taking responsibility”!  What a JOKE that line has always been.

Noonan was writing odes to Dumbya’s “pair” not so long ago.  Now she wants to pretend he was a eunuch?  Sorry, Peggy, you’ve already served and been serviced, and we have the records.

Moe, your comments on my blog consistently call to mind a bit of dialogue from one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies:

Jason: Joe {Moe}, you just make me feel tired all over when you talk like that.

Joe {Moe}: Now, what do you mean by that?

Jason: It’s bad enough to have to kill a man without having to listen to a whole lot of stupid talk from him first.

Bonus points to anybody who can identify the movie without resorting to Google.

A few writers, including yourself, noted what was wrong early. Most Republicans do not read blogs. The real power in shaping Republican opinion lies with Fox News and the radio talk show hosts. They either attack all who do not follow accepted Republican dogma as they see it, or blindly support whatever Republican president is in office. This very bad for the party as it has become wedded to what worked in the past with no ability for critical self-analysis.

If Republicans would all give up Rush and Fox for a year and instead read people like Bainbridge, our country, and i do mean country and not just party, would be better off.

Steve