My questions, his words
1. Senator what is your take on the culture war and its influence on conservative politics?
“Well, I’ve spent quite a number of years carrying the flag of the ‘Old Conservatism.’ And I can say with conviction that the religious issues of these groups have little or nothing to do with conservative or liberal politics. The uncompromising position of these groups is a divisive element that could tear apart the very spirit of our representative system, if they gain sufficient strength.
“Being a conservative in America traditionally has meant that one holds a deep, abiding respect for the Constitution. We conservatives believe sincerely in the integrity of the Constitution. We treasure the freedoms that document protects. . .
“By maintaining the separation of church and state, the United States has avoided the intolerance which has so divided the rest of the world with religious wars . . .
Can any of us refute the wisdom of Madison and the other framers? Can anyone look at the carnage in Iran, the bloodshed in Northem Ireland, or the bombs bursting in Lebanon and yet question the dangers of injecting religious issues into the affairs of state?”
2. Is unity or conformity more important to a political cause?
“This is a party– this Republican party is a party for free men. Not for blind followers and not for conformists. Back in 1858 Abraham Lincoln said this of the Republican party-and I quote him because he probably could have said it during the last week or so..
Our Republican cause is not to level out the world or make its people conform in computer-regimented sameness. Our Republican cause is to free our people and light the way for liberty throughout the world.
3. Speaking of liberty can you tell me what are some of your non negotiable values, politics be damned?
“Balance, diversity, creative difference-these are the elements of Republican equation. Republicans agree, Republicans agree heartily to disagree on many, many of their applications. But we have never disagreed on the basic fundamental issues of why you and I are Republicans.
Anyone who joins us in all sincerity, we welcome. Those, those who do not care for our cause, we don”t expect to enter our ranks, in any case. And let our Republicanism so focused and so dedicated not be made fuzzy and futile by unthinking and stupid labels.
Thus do we seek inventiveness, diversity, and creative difference within a stable order, for we Republicans define government’s role where needed at many, many levels– preferably, though, the one closest to the people involved: our towns and our cities, then our counties, then our states, then our regional contacts, and only then the national government.
4. What about the Gay Issue?
“The big thing is to make this country, along with every other country in the world with a few exceptions, quit discriminating against people just because they’re gay, you don’t have to agree with it, but they have a constitutional right to be gay. And that’s what brings me into it.”
To be continued in my next post…..If you are a Republican or a Dem watch this 6 minute video on the Senator and you will be surprised http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7kdLEjb9gM
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
What time frame?
SteveLA (Diary) Sunday, September 5th at 7:59PM EST (link)jgbennet
What was the time frame of these comments by Goldwater. Sounds like this is from the time when Goldwater and the Moral Majority were at odds. I tend to like what he had to say, but others have ascribed his later in life comments on these matters to something else.
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Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
I also remember that some of what he said
kyle8 (Diary) Sunday, September 5th at 8:15PM EST (link)was trumpeted by those with an ax to grind.
It is such a delicate balancing act. as a movement we need those like us who are more liberty oriented, but we need the moral majoritarians also.
We just have to be honest with our disagreements and not so quick to label each other.
We can easily come together if we concentrate on the things we do agree on, like limiting government power and involvement in the economy.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
Some sort of synthesis would be more useful
aesthete (Diary) Sunday, September 5th at 10:16PM EST (link)Making a secular, Harm Principle-based argument on abortion more widely known and articulated, then focusing on abortion, parental rights, alternate schooling, removal of government from education, school vouchers, and having right-libertarians (Goldwater types) and social conservatives agree to and prioritizing this agenda would be mutually beneficial, and allow a broader coalition to achieve the goals set forth by both groups.
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
5
ywhyvon1 Sunday, September 5th at 10:44PM EST (link)Socialist with fork looking for Socialist with pork pie-unknown
Republicanism is not the same as Democracy
jgbennet (Diary) Sunday, September 5th at 10:50PM EST (link)Did you know,,,,,
Republicanism is not the same as democracy, for republicanism asserts that people have inalienable rights that cannot be voted away by a majority of voters. In a true democracy, the voters have no limits.
“The beauty of the very system we Republicans are pledged to restore and revitalize, the beauty of this federal system of ours, is in its reconciliation of diversity with unity. We must not see malice in honest differences of opinion, and no matter how great, so long as they are not inconsistent with the pledges we have given to each other in and through our Constitution”.
Barry Goldwater
“By establishing religion as a basic Republican Party tenet,” he told U.S. News & World Report in 1994, “they could do us in.” In an interview with The Post that same year, Goldwater observed, “When you say ‘radical right’ today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye.”
If we get a new Barry Goldwater it is check mate Dems for years to come.
Absolutely
aesthete (Diary) Sunday, September 5th at 11:59PM EST (link)Government ensconced in a federalist framework, with our rights safe from the majoritarian impulse, is the way to go. I certainly hope that some Republican hopeful recognizes this truth, as well!
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
on the other hand
kyle8 (Diary) Monday, September 6th at 8:07AM EST (link)Just as an academic exercise I could probably make a pretty good case that if every major piece of legislation in the last twenty years had come up for a direct public vote we would have a much more conservative and smaller government right now.
Both parties have pursued some very very unpopular projects, spent way more than the average voters wanted, as well as just flat refusing to enforce our border laws.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
That's a good point
aesthete (Diary) Monday, September 6th at 1:46PM EST (link)The “Great Society” certainly wasn’t loved when it was passed. That percentage would probably increase if people read and understood said bills, rather than relying on the political rhetoric surrounding such bills. Still, I tend to think that the Founders were right about keeping essential rights away from the majoritarian instinct: it only takes one bad election to usher in a raft of anti-freedom legislation, and I shudder to think what American would be had the Constitution not limited Wilson and FDR.
The act of defending any of the cardinal virtues has today all the exhilaration of a vice – G.K. Chesterton
Goldwater's Golden Words
jgbennet (Diary) Sunday, September 5th at 9:48PM EST (link)Here is Barry Goldwaters Acceptance Speech in full, everybody should read it at least 3 times.
http://politheo.com/republicanmanifesto.html
the quotes were from his 1964 speech and others up to his death
here also is goldwater’s 1986 senate farewell interview
at 21 minutes he talks about reagan and it is priceless. who knew??
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/4912
WE NEED MORE BARRY GOLDWATER REPUBLICANS!!
the party left us……..