I was talking after the NARN last Saturday with one of our producers. He’s a younger guy, sharp as all get-out, and – as befits a producer at a conservative talk station – conservative.
But like a lot of younger conservatives – really, young people of any political affiliation – he hasn’t completely formed his impressions about…
…well, not so much is own principles, but how to analyze those of others.
Like a lot of non-wonks I know, he’s a little unclear on what the fuss is about Mitt Romney; “is he actually a conservative?”, he asked?
According to one big chunk of conservative conventional wisdom, of course, he’s on probation at best.
But I told him “yes” – he is. The real question is, “what do you mean by “conservative?” Because “conservatism” means at least three different, highly distinct movements in the US today. I’ve been writing about this for quite a while; we have…:
- Northeastern Conservatism: Comfortable with big government, but generally pro-business and anti-government-intervention, at least in re the economy. Think Romney, Giuliani, Chris Christie, and George H. W. Bush. Are they conservative? On fiscal, business and business-regulatory issues, absolutely. On social issues? “Not so much”, reply the…
- Southern Conservatives: The stereotypical southern conservative is a Bible-Belt Crusader on social issues. Paradoxically, they are frequently much less so on fiscal issues. I’ve often wondered why that was. Think Mike Huckabee and, to an extent, George W. Bush. We’ll come back to that later. Anyway – standing well aside and hectoring them both – these days, from the high ground, in virtual control of the GOP grass roots – are the…
- Western Conservatives: Libertarian on social issues (at least as re government is concerned) and budget hawks. They are big on Small Government. Ron Paul is as far out as the GOP gets in this department; most of us Hayek buffs fit in here.
Anyway – I read something yesterday that kinda made for a good explanation for the uninitiated, to try to help them untangle the whole “who is a conservative” bit.
More tomorrow.
I read a study that said the executive center of the brain doesn’t become fully functional until age 25 (or so). It explains a lot.
I don’t doubt that Romney is a “values” conservative. But he has an outsized view of what government can accomplish. Like President Obama (but to a much lesser extent) he thinks the government can do all sorts of good things. Romney just thinks he can guide it and direct it better than Pres. Obama. That’s a technocrat, not a conservative.
“Fiscal Conservative, Social Liberal” generally translates to plain “Liberal.”
Example: I support your right to an abortion but I won’t pay for it. Except then you can’t afford one so your rights are being violated by circumstances beyond your control. And an unwanted child will be born into poverty. So in order to support your rights, I guess I’ll have to pay for it. There goes my fiscal conservatism, out the window.
Nate-
I think you’ve explained why it is that the NE conservatives are the smallest part of the conservative alliance – at least as far as the number of actual voters (money & influence is another matter). I’m tired of hearing the “I’m a fiscal conservative, but a social liberal” malarkey. It’s the twin of the “private profit, socialized risk” model of crony capitalism that Sarah Palin (but not Barack Obama) is famous for fighting.
“I take my pleasure as I might, let others bear the cost if it goes badly”.
So where does that leave midwestern conservatives like t-paw and to a lesser extent Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert?
I read a study that said the executive center of the brain doesn’t become fully functional until age 25 (or so). It explains a lot.
That would explain a lot of my encounters at the U with kooks.
So where does that leave midwestern conservatives like t-paw and to a lesser extent Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert?
In the pocket of the Koch brothers, Ben.
That’s all you need to know.
I read a study that said the executive center of the brain doesn’t become fully functional until age 25 (or so). It explains a lot.
27 for me and it only happened because of deaths in the family. And it still took 6 months beyond that.