Lately I have been watching a lot of The West Wing, the Emmy winning Aaron Sorkin political drama that ran from 1999 to 2006. At the time, it was criticized for representing a liberal fantasy thatrelying too often on simply “doing the right thing” and making a good speech as the answer to political problems….
Conservatism
Taxation and Slavery
In his recent comment,* Jacob made several references to slavery, both historical and metaphorical. I’d like to unpack them a bit since they reflect the foundation of some of our differences. In his first reference, Jacob references the historic institution of slavery. He suggests that “the majority of Americans were better off as a result…
What’s Actually Wrong with the Republican Party
This piece by Jonathan Bernstein alerted me to this Washington Post op-ed by Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein. Mann and Ornstein suggest that the problem with the Republicans is that they’ve gone too far to the right and are subsequently unwilling/unable to compromise in beneficial ways. The result is more detrimental government gridlock. I think Bernstein…
Constitutional Originalism
Over the last decades, certain conservative political and legal activists have been very effective in selling a vision of the original Constitution as (1) basically perfect and (2) perfectly clear. From this perspective, the only modern approaches to the Constitution are to either (a) maintain it or (b) degrade it. This perspective has been effective in…
Romney on the Value of Marriage
At Saturday night’s debate, the Republican candidates were what they would say to a homosexual couple who wanted to “form [a] loving, committed, long-term relationship.” The logic of Mitt Romney’s answer suggested a surprisingly low valuation of “marriage”: Well, the answer is, is that’s a wonderful thing to do, and that there’s every right for…
Christian Conservatism, Part II
Grant’s comment on my previous post reminded me of another area of disagreement with conservative Christians that is worth highlighting: I am comfortable with government as an instrument of our communal values and efforts in aiding others. If we as a group of citizenry feel a desire to help “the poor, downtrodden, sick, disadvantaged” (in…
What Separates Me From the Religious Conservatives
I am an active church-goer, a Christian believer who has spent time proselyting for my faith. But my politics almost never align with those conservative Republican evangelicals who get so much attention in the Republican Party. Why not? I think the answer boils down to some fundamental differences in perspective: 1. Religious Belief v. Political Belief…
A Nation Without Courts
Newt Gingrich is running as an ideas man, as ‘the smartest person in the room’ wherever he goes. Recently he boasted that one of his campaign documents was “the most thorough statement of the Constitution and the balance of power, I think, that’s been written by a political figure since Lincoln’s first inaugural in 1861.”…
Perry’s Answer
I’ll admit that I wasn’t watching last night’s debate when Gov. Rick Perry made his infamous “oops.”* But an earlier statement he made had already caught my attention. Perry was hammering on government regulation. And he had a proposal: Audit all federal regulation since 2008 and ask whether it creates jobs or hinders job growth….
Reagan Presidential Library Debate
A few troubling (to me) themes that emerged from tonight’s debate: The Magical Presidency – Worse than the imperial presidency, this is the idea that a president can (and should be able to) accomplish anything he wants. Only Ron Paul seems concerned about this model. The others are happy to imagine that it’s already a…