Alright Bush, You Have Now Pissed Off My Lifelong "Conservative" Folks. [View All]

[DistressedAmerican]

I openly admit that I hate George Bush. I think that he is the worst president I have seen in my lifetime. That is no secret. But, my parents are life long Iowa Republicans. My dad was president of the Iowa state young Republicans in College and worked as a page in the Iowa state house when he was young. He turned against Nixon when it was clear he was a criminal. But, supported him to the hilt prior to that.

They think of themselves as "conservatives". You know the ones. Small government, limited spending, and general isolationist foreign policy (at least in theory). The people who we all thought of as "Republicans" until 2000 when the Neo-Conservative/Religious Right really hijacked the name "Republican" and started pushing a radically different agenda of government expansion into many facets of daily life, expansion of the government itself, massive deficit spending, fusion of Christian religious principles with the law and "pre-emptive" warfare. My mother stressed several times the difference between "conservatives" and the folks invading Iraq, pushing "intelligent" design, and wiretapping American citizens without warrants.

I reassured her that we (Distressed Sis and I) knew the difference between a conservative and a neo-conservative. A conservative can be reasoned and dealt with. A balance can be found. A neo-conservative has an agenda that they are going to push regardless of who objects. And that agenda is in complete opposition to traditional conservative principles despite being linked with the "Republican" branding. In general, I think this is a reflection of the fact that they know full well that they are at best a short lives phenomena and want to get as much down on paper and into the pockets of those that benefit while they can.

Over the holidays I asked my parents (who voted libertarian last 2 elections) what they thought of Bush these days on various accounts. I asked my dad what he thought of Bush's domestic spying program. His immediate one word response was, "Sick!". My mother mentioned the issue and her disapproval several times as well. Both reserved judgment on the war until they saw if there really were any weapons of mass destruction and have now definitely decided it was a huge national mistake that will be very costly. My mother now openly bring up the intrusion of religion into government. She said at one point, "I fear I am going to die in a theocracy". That blew my mind. I had never heard her mention the issue to any great degree besides generally expressing her displeasure with the growth of the influence of the religious right in the party.

When they have so completely alienated traditional Republicans like that, the new republicans are due to get shoved back into their box. Of course they are now talking a lot about John McCaine. But, even that ass-kissing Bush toadie would be an improvement at this point.

Lets just hope that we are ready to offer up a good, electable candidate come 2008. :applause: