When I think of Conservatives, I think of Barry Goldwater and Bill Buckley people who wanted government. Limited to doing only what we need it to do and nothing more and that it wasn't the job of government to run our lives. But protect our freedom to live our lives, another words Conservative is someone who believes in conserving. Thats where the word comes from and when it comes to politics, that means conserving freedom and not rushing. To respond to things that some people may see as problems that have to be solved, its not that government. Can't try to solve problems but that government needs to be limited in how it solves problems because there's a limit. To what government can do Constitutionally and effectively and that government shouldn't be the only game in town. When it comes to problem solving and again its not the job of government to tell us how to live our lives and what we. Can do with our own lives, just put rules in place to protect innocent people from being harmed and to punish those who hurt innocent people. Which is different that Conservatives aren't Statists but people who believe in individual freedom.
The problem today with the Republican Party is not that its too Conservative but its not Conservative enough. Especially going forward against a Democratic Party thats becoming more Liberal and embracing individual freedom more. In a country thats becoming more Liberal and Libertarian and less Statist and the only thing that Republicans have to counter that. Is Conservatism otherwise they might as well just become Democrats and we become another one party state. The problem with Conservatism is not Conservatives but people who call themselves Conservatives. Who believe one of the roles of government is to tell Americans what it means to be an American and call anyone Un American. Who doesn't fit in that box and that another job of government is to tell Americans how to live their own lives. For the good of the country, you can't be a Conservative and a Statist, its one or the other.
The Statists who call themselves Conservatives but who aren't Conservative is what's giving the GOP and Conservatism a bad name. Because when Democrats and Independents see someone like Rick Santorum or Todd Akin. It scares the hell out of them because they see two guys who want to tell. Us what healthcare we can have and what we can do with our own bodies, who we can marry and so. Fourth and its Statists that the GOP needs to break away from to be able to compete with Democrats long term at least at the national level.
