PJ Media

Fred Thompson was just right to me, but as a “FredHead” bemoaning that the only true conservative competing for the Republican nomination has withdrawn his candidacy, I fear that conservatism itself is on its death bed. It was my hope that the American “silent majority” of conservatives still existed, and that they would unite behind Thompson to defeat whichever of the far-left-of-center Democrats.

Instead, multifariousness of political viewpoint on the Republican side appears to have diluted the strength of core conservative values previously respected and held in common. Some even assert that Thompson is not conservative based upon his CFR membership or lobbying activity, a conclusion based on an unsound rationale.

With the exception of Ron Paul, all of the other Republican candidates are flip-floppers and/or not consistent conservatives by any measure. The problem with Ron Paul is that some of his specific remedies for what ails our nation amount to the political equivalent of medical quackery. His plan to abolish the Federal Reserve system and return the U.S. to the gold standard is dangerous. A foreign policy of “non-interventionism” amounts to utopian silliness dressed up in outdated language. Nevertheless, Ron Paul may be more of a Libertarian than a Republican, but at least he is consistent and principled. Regardless, divided the Republican party falls. Hillary may now just landslide to victory against McCain, Romney, Huckabee or Juliani, as an unenthusiastic base of conservative voters takes a “none of the above” stance.

If memory serves, it was the Ross Perot dilution factor that propelled Bill Clinton to victory. At least the Ron Paul supporters will be happy with the withdrawal of troops from “foreign entanglement” as the Democrat president facilitates the retreat from Iraq. The tragedy is that not enough of us realize that the fate of the middle east (and by extension much of the free world) depends on the establishment of a stable government in Iraq; failure to see through the confrontation with Jihadistan on the Iraqi front will only postpone the reckoning with stronger, more emboldened enemies who knows where and when.

No doubt contributing to the death of conservatism is the slimey state of journalism in America. So-called “newspapers” and “news wires” are driven to spew dezinformatzia for the sake of a political agenda. So called cable/tv “news programs” are driven to produce content that will attract the most viewers for the sake of ratings, even if their slogan is “fair and balanced”. There is plenty of “free speech” out there, especially on the radio, but unbiased delivery of news is missing in action. I wonder how many Americans even realize this.

So even though Fred Thompson may be just right to be POTUS from a principled, conservative point of view on every issue, his candidacy goes down & out because he doesn’t have enough money to cut through it all and provide a refresher course for the republican party primary voters whom are apparantly abandoning conservatism or at least forgetting to bring it with them to the voting booth.

With the Clintons back in the White House, conservatism will no doubt require hospice. Perhaps that will lead to a cure, and conservatism will rise back up like a phoenix to reclaim the hearts and minds of Americans. What a price to pay for a return to righteousness.