J. William Lauderback

What Does It Mean to Be a Conservative Today?

Gather.com

August 2, 2006

The following is an edited transcript of a live chat.

Lauderback:            Welcome! Before we begin in a minute, I just want to refer ya’all to ACU’s statement of principles. Now, let’s begin!

James:               A number of conservatives in this discussion have suggested that we must purge Congress of out-of-control Republicans who do not represent the majority of Conservatives in America. Do you think that loosing power for an election or two will serve a greater purpose of reclaiming the Republican party for the long-run?

Lauderback:     Good question James. Many of us who were actively engaged in the so-called Republican revolution in 1994 believed that we were electing a House and Senate comprised of a majority of conservatives. Unfortunately, the last 12 years have proved us wrong. This is not to say that there are no conservatives in the House and Senate; indeed, there are many. But they do not come close to representing the majority in either chamber.

Becky Weiss: Do you think it is possible that there are other reasons aside from wanting smaller government, such as the costliness of Iraq, which caused conservatives to stay home and give their Republican leaders low marks?

Lauderback:     I would argue that the recent election results in Pennsylvania, in which several so-called Republicans were defeated by little-known, poorly financed conservative challengers in the primary election, demonstrates that conservatives have not—and will not—stay home. But you are correct that it is the loss of faith by conservatives in current Republican governance that is causing these extraordinarily low polling numbers for both the President and congressional Republicans.

James Sylvia: We keep hearing about the need for “fiscal discipline” from all sides (Dem and Rep), but who is going to put his/her foot down and demand accountability when it comes to spending? As long as Karl Rove is orchestrating things, it seems as though even fiscal conservatives are going to kowtow to the President.

Lauderback:     I would disagree with your contention that Democrats are calling for fiscal discipline. On the contrary, it is very rare that any Democrat ever proposes any type of spending reduction in domestic programs, with the exception of our national defense, which following the end of the Cold War was significantly reduced by the Clinton administration. With respect to the question as to “who is going to put his/her foot down and demand accountability,” I would urge you to visit the Web sites of US Senator Tom Coburn, US Senator Judd Gregg, Congressman Mike Pence, and Congressman Jeb Hensarling. These four members of Congress, true conservatives all, are leading an ever-emerging effort to expose the gross waste of taxpayer dollars by the federal government, and to instill legislative measures requiring real reductions in spending.

John F:             What role do you believe that religion (specifically Christianity) should play in the conservative movement?

Lauderback:     Our nation was founded in large part on Christian-Judeo philosophy and principles. One need only read the Declaration of Independence to see clearly that the moral principles of these two great religions played an indelible role in the crafting of what later became our Constitution and Bill of Rights. If you’re asking as to whether Christianity should be imposed as a national religion, the answer is no; that is specifically forbidden by our Constitution. Unfortunately, many on the left have used this provision of the Constitution in an attempt to remove any semblance of religion from American society.

Kimberly A:      I am campaigning here in Tennessee in the Jonesborough office for Ed Bryant for US Senate. Ed Bryant has been endorsed by the Tennessee Right To Life. He’s a very conservative individual. I hope he will get the overall majority of votes tomorrow evening from the Republican primary that will clench the Republican ticket. In doing so, he will challenge Harold Ford Jr. in November. I pray for him and all the other conservatives running in my state.

Lauderback:     I had the privilege of serving as deputy campaign manager in U.S. Senator Bill Frist’s 1994 election, and have a great fondness for Tennessee, as many of my family live there. I wish you the very best in your election, and believe that all three of the Republican candidates in the primary are good conservatives. I must tell you, however, that we here in Washington are very concerned about the November election in Tennessee. Harold Ford is an excellent campaigner, and he will be difficult to defeat. His support of Al Gore needs to be thoroughly exposed in Tennessee as it is reflective of the true philosophical posture of Mr. Ford.

Dr. Arthur Rubin:         Would you be opposed to true conservatives voting for fiscally responsible Democrats? More and more I believe many conservatives who have strong moral values have no choice but to vote Democratic because of the impossibility of the GOP to be both moral and in bed with oil, lobbyists etc. Is there anything wrong with voting for a fiscally responsible candidate who takes the moral responsibility to increase minimum wage, provide soldiers with the gear they need to stay alive etc.

Lauderback:     We at the American Conservative Union are not tied to any party. Therefore, if you can identify a truly fiscally conservative Democrat, feel free to vote for him or her. I simply am not aware of any.

Becky Weiss: How do you think religion and the “value voters” will play out in 2006 and 2008? Do you think people will be able to trust the Republican party after all the corruption and moral exploitation?

Lauderback:     The question you raise may indeed lay at the heart of the 2006 and 2008 elections. The issue seems to be whether religion and “value voters” are as effectively mobilized as they were in 1980, in support of Ronald Reagan. At present, there is not an obvious candidate in either the Republican or Democratic party, around whom such voters would appear to naturally rally.

Gary:    With all the spin in the media, all of the senseless rhetoric the politicians spew that people cannot understand let along stay around to hear the whole thing, what do you suggest are effective ways of getting our message out and getting our reps to pay attention? I think one of the biggest problems here is that serious Republicans/conservatives are deathly afraid of the consequences of another Democrat majority or White House that our reps take our votes for granted and compromise our issues to buy few votes on the left. In other words, we are left holding the bag while our reps give away what we worked hard for and entrusted them with.

Lauderback:     Your comment is profound, as I believe you have very clearly articulated the problem facing the Republican Party. I agree that both the President and the Republican majorities in Congress, have to a large measure taken the support of conservatives for granted. They will do this at their peril.

Robert:              I am a registered conservative in NY and I am totally frustrated with the Republicans in congress. Am I wrong to feel that?

Lauderback:     Absolutely not. You have every reason to be frustrated with the performance of the Republican majorities in Congress.

Tom:                    What is going on in Penn? Does Rick Santorum have a chance to win reelection?

Lauderback:     Of course Senator Santorum has a chance of being re-elected. To assume otherwise is naïve. That said, the Senator is clearly in trouble with his constituents, and the Democratic Party is mounting an impressive campaign against him. Senator Santorum is a solid conservative, and his defeat in November would be a severe loss to the conservative movement. If you’re in Pennsylvania, I urge you to volunteer as much of your time as possible to help the Senator in this very difficult election.

Dave R:            The fundamental problem, as I see it, is that the things which conservatives really want down at their core, are values which are going to make the candidates unelectable if expressed. We have become a nation of whiners, much of it with the aid of the media, and refuse to take individual responsibility for our actions. Until we do, and convince others to do so as well, the ideas of balancing the budget and reducing the deficit are pipe dreams.

Lauderback:     I strongly disagree with your contention that the expression of core conservative values results in a candidate being unelectable. Were this true, Ronald Reagan would never have been elected—or re-elected. Countless elections have demonstrated that when conservative candidates stick to their conservative principles, they win.

Carleton H:     Do Barnes and Rove really think you can stop a liberal from whinning by giving them what they want? sure, we have budget busting prescription drug coverage for seniors, but it won’t be enough. We spend more money per pupil on education than any other nation on earth, but it won’t be enough. You have to stand up to bullies. liberals are bullies. A conservative that compromises his principles to avoid an argument doesn’t really have principles, and isn’t really a conservative.

Lauderback:     I don’t disagree with you. But I would argue that Karl Rove does not believe that cowing to liberals is a prescription for success. As for Fred Barnes, I have serious reservations as to his “conservative” credentials. It is unfortunate that both Fred Barnes and Bill Kristol are regularly featured on television news programs as representing conservatives.

Franklin K:       I became a conservative in 1963, while working for the election of Barry Goldwater. I later voted for Nixon twice, Reagan twice, etc. Then I found Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry. The conservative (Republican) party is not conservative at all. They are a mixture of rich people, religious zealots, racists, fear-mongerers, old white men (like me), and a large group of non-thinking followers. They all just hated it when Bill Clinton did their job better than they would. Although still conservative on many levels, I am proud to be called a liberal Democrat.

Lauderback:     Congratulations on your liberal-Democratic status. You folks are the greatest motivating force we conservatives have. How you can have voted for Ronald Reagan and later John Kerry is baffling. But such is the state of the liberal Democratic mind.

This was fun. See you next time around. In the meantime, if you don’t know about CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, the next one of which is in March 2006, check out www.cpac.org. You can also join ACU by clicking here.

J. William Lauderback is the executive vice president of the American Conservative Union.