Rep. Ron Paul is one of our statesmen who evokes a strong emotional response from most people. You either love him or hate him. I actually have some fond memories of Mr. Paul making John McCain look like a member of the Federal Reserve during the debates for the Republican Party primaries in the past election.
I have friends who take a dim view of Mr. Paul (and that is being kind) and I have friends who think that Mr. Paul will save the country. However, the events from the last weekend offered a strange position from two separate groups which both claim to be “conservative”. Now I find that most “conservatives” have a tendency to explain what a “conservative” is but their definitions are not usually in agreement. I would have to say that most conservatives are Republicans who take issue with the Republican Party so they don’t want to be labeled as a Republican. It is better to accept a label that is ethereal in the sense that you can define what your label means when most people will accept it without a challenge.
Let’s move on from conservative individuals to conservative organizations. Conservative organizations surely must have a well defined understanding of the goals and objectives of this term. As shown below Rep. Paul has won the presidential straw poll at CPAC:
Ron Paul Wins Presidential Straw Poll at CPAC — Again
For the second year in a row, Ron Paul won the presidential straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, earning 30 percent of the vote.
The Texas congressman, known for his libertarian views, ran for president in 2008 but was never a serious contender for the GOP nomination.
However the National Board of Young Americans for Freedom has expelled Mr. Paul from their advisory board.
Nation’s Oldest Conservative-Libertarian Activist Group Expels Ron Paul from Advisory Board
The National Board of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF)—America’s oldest conservative-libertarian activist group—has, per curium, voted to purge Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) from YAF’s National Advisory Board.
YAF’s concern with Rep. Paul stems from his delusional and disturbing alliance with the fringe Anti-War movement.
“It is a sad day in American history when a one-time conservative-libertarian stalwart has fallen more out of touch with America’s needs for national security than the current feeble and appeasing administration,” said YAF’s Senior National Director Jordan Marks.
Is anyone else wondering about the credibility of CPAC after this last conference? What about the controversial Islamist issues at this conference? How about another view of CPAC from Redstate.com:
CPAC: Home of the White RINOS!
I only saw a little bit of CPAC and was not impressed by the White RINOS like George Will and Mitt Romney. I have always hated most print media conservatives, except for Charles Krauthammer and Bill Kristol. George Will has always struck me as a RINO and an elitist snob that hates religious and social conservatives. The RINO fraud George Will, who hates two-thirds of all conservatives. Will and his toupee hate religious conservatives and have pushed progressivism on the Republican party. Will is absolutely a progressive republican that has a history of being anti-religion and anti-religious conservative.
Next time someone tells you that they are a conservative, ask them which variety. As for me, I am still an American who understands that morality and virtue need no defining labels as a preface.
David DeGerolamo
I AM HOPING TO DELIVER THIS SPEECH OFTEN BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 2012. WARM REGARDS, TOM WETZEL
Maybe too little too late but a good set of examples:
Barry Goldwater / Ron Paul = Conservative
Bush (both Pop and W.) / John McCain = Neo-Conservative
(FYI, Grandaddy Bush of Republic Bank was a fascist and Nazi Supporter along with some of the Rockefellers during WWII, telling, can you say traitors?)
Bottom line:
Conservatives = non-interventionist and pro-sovereignty stances
Neo-Conservatives = globalist, interventionist and NWO proponents (Some call them “chickenhawks”)