The End Of American Conservatism

I've been following, and with some interest, the death spiral of conservatism in the USA. I was around when Brian Mulroney killed the Progressive Conservative brand with his arrogance and dismissal of the people who gave him power. I was around when Preston Manning rejuvenated Canadian conservatism with the Reform Party and his fascinating book "The New Canada". I watched, in horror, Stockwell Day and his stupid wetsuit stunt in a campaign that should have been a win. I watched with pride as our current PM, Stephen Harper, ended the national nightmare of unchecked Liberal power. I also got angry when he tabled a budget on political expediency and not so much on principle.

One thing that was clear as we moved from the wilderness to power was the following: the discussion was about politicians and stances on issues. The death of the US Republican Party is about that as well, with one glaring exception, the voices of the US conservative movement are celebrities with no actual stake in the success of conservatism. The pundits run the party.

It's fun to be a polarizing loudmouth, a' la Limbaugh. Being a polarizing loudmouth when you are a politician guarantees you a seat on the sidelines. The sheer arrogance of Rush is amazing, he thinks he controls the movement, when all he does is screech at the base whilst the rest of the population ignores him or changes the station.

Here's something to ponder: successful conservatism means less room for his particular brand of bombast. He makes money and gains listeners if the other guys are in power. He is not even remotely accountable, regardless of who is in charge, but it certainly is easier to fill your show up with "if they listened to me, they would have won". Now, it seems, he expects everyone to listen to him and dissent is not allowed.

The popularity of folks like Limbaugh, Coulter and to a lesser extent, Ron Paul speaks of the utter lack of leadership down south. The diehards don't seem to think it is so, but I guess I missed the ballot with Limbaugh's name on it. There he is, though, speaking up a storm at conventions, telling people why this must be so. Until he dares put himself before the population in a vote, he should be put on a shelf.

Look, he could be 100% right and it doesn't matter a bit. Rush is unaccountable and is happily donning the mantle of leader given to him by the so called liberal media and the DNC. I'll bet it drives his ratings and I'll bet it doesn't do a bit of good at the polls in 2010 and 2012. He's loud and spouts boilerplate. At the same time, he brings the dialogue down to the lowest common denominator.

At some point, my conservative friends in the USA had better go for some substance. The more you laud these conservative celebrities, the farther from the mainstream you go. Why should the Chair of the RNC have to apologize for anything said to or about Rush?

That Steele apologized is the problem in a nutshell. No one should have to go, hat in hand, to kiss the ring of a RADIO TALK SHOW HOST. Come the hell on. Rush is no more a gatekeeper to the hearts of conservatives than Micheal Moore speaks for liberals. He should be told, in no uncertain terms that his support is welcome but his aspirations to leadership are not. Rush controls less than his television counterparts, and that should be drilled into his skull.

Until he is removed or controlled, his mere presence is enough to turn off voters that might otherwise agree with basic conservative principles. I sure wouldn't want to elect someone when the implied result is that Rush will be pulling the strings.