Peggy Noonan on how Bush has broken away from conservatives:
What political conservatives and on-the-ground Republicans must understand at this point is that they are not breaking with the White House on immigration. They are not resisting, fighting and thereby setting down a historical marker--"At this point the break became final." That's not what's happening. What conservatives and Republicans must recognize is that the White House has broken with them.
The White House doesn't need its traditional supporters anymore, because its problems are way beyond being solved by the base. And the people in the administration don't even much like the base. Desperate straits have left them liberated, and they are acting out their disdain. Leading Democrats often think their base is slightly mad but at least their heart is in the right place. This White House thinks its base is stupid and that its heart is in the wrong place.
For almost three years, arguably longer, conservative Bush supporters have felt like sufferers of battered wife syndrome. You don't like endless gushing spending, the kind that assumes a high and unstoppable affluence will always exist, and the tax receipts will always flow in? Too bad! You don't like expanding governmental authority and power? Too bad. You think the war was wrong or is wrong? Too bad.
But on immigration it has changed from "Too bad" to "You're bad."
Read the whole thing.
It looks like “compassionate conservatism” has turned into “condescending corruption”. Regardless of which side of the political fence you sit on, this is bad.
3 comments:
Peggy Noonan is all wrong, and unfortunately for such a good writer as she is, gets hyperbolic in her language.
George W. Bush never campaigned on being some small govt conservative. Listen to his campaign speeches in 2000. He always talked up "compassionate conservatism" by which he meant some accommodation to big govt. He certainly always talked up immigration reform, education reform, etc.
So boo hoo, Peggy Noonan and all who whine and complain that Bush has betrayed their version of conservatism. The reality is that you just were not paying attention, or miscalculated in assuming Bush wouldn't live up to his promises. In either case, you are to blame, not Bush. So stop playing the victim, like a typical left wing writer.
Thinking, I'm afraid I completely disagree with you on this. Peggy Noonan hit it spot on on all counts.
Dr. Bri,
How am I wrong? My point is not to defend Bush in his policies, but to point out that Bush did not campaign any differently than what he did.
The policies that Noonan criticizes: the spending, the immigration reform, were all part of Bush's "compassionate conservatism" platform.
If Noonan is disillusioned with those policies, it is because she read into Bush something he is not. That's her fault.
I will say she has a point in criticizing Bush's choice of words, as well as his choice of appointees. But to criticize his policies, please...she voted for them.
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