Mr. Kishkumen

[_Chap]

So, let me get this straight. You think our beloved GOP has a Palin-lover litmus test for continuing affiliation? Shame on you. Maybe you're the poseur, because that's not my GOP. In mine, we're still allowed to use our own brains and decide which candidates we want to support.

I'm not a member of the GOP.

Suddenly the world seems a safer place.

[_Droopy]

think Droopy has already described himself, on MAD, as extreme right wing. In other words, he's somewhere between the GOP and NAZI.

Beyond the utterly stupefying ignorance this statement entails, on a number of levels, the NAZIs (German National Socialists) were left wingers, not right wingers, which brings them into your orbit Ray, but not mine, I'm afraid.

I have described myself, on the MAD boards, as a right wing extremist - in sarcastic jest regarding the cartoon caricature uneducated and emotional people like Ray have of us.

In reality, within conservatism proper, "extremism" really isn't possible. Conservatism is the "politics of prudence" and of careful, judicious progress, and is precisely not the lurching, experimental, novelty for its own sake "change" of the Left.

People with conservative leanings or core values, who become extreme or obsessional on certain issues, inevitably find themselves outside the conservative intellectual movement, and ultimately end, like Pat Buchanan, in nativist, isolationist, big government populism, wholly incompatible with mainstream conservative thought.

Nazism is, of course, statist, collectivist, and totalitarian, completely divergent values from modern conservatism, which is a major school of classical liberalism.

[_Chap]

think Droopy has already described himself, on MAD, as extreme right wing. In other words, he's somewhere between the GOP and NAZI.

Beyond the utterly stupefying ignorance this statement entails, on a number of levels, the NAZIs (German National Socialists) were left wingers, not right wingers, which brings them into your orbit Ray, but not mine, I'm afraid.

I have described myself, on the MAD boards, as a right wing extremist - in sarcastic jest regarding the cartoon caricature uneducated and emotional people like Ray have of us.

In reality, within conservatism proper, "extremism" really isn't possible. Conservatism is the "politics of prudence" and of careful, judicious progress, and is precisely not the lurching, experimental, novelty for its own sake "change" of the Left.

People with conservative leanings or core values, who become extreme or obsessional on certain issues, inevitably find themselves outside the conservative intellectual movement, and ultimately end, like Pat Buchanan, in nativist, isolationist, big government populism, wholly incompatible with mainstream conservative thought.

Nazism is, of course, statist, collectivist, and totalitarian, completely divergent values from modern conservatism, which is a major school of classical liberalism.

Suddenly, the American Nazi party feels safer too. It's a good day.

[_Kishkumen]

In reality, within conservatism proper, "extremism" really isn't possible. Conservatism is the "politics of prudence" and of careful, judicious progress, and is precisely not the lurching, experimental, novelty for its own sake "change" of the Left.

And you reconcile that with your Palin remark how?

[_Droopy]

So, let me get this straight. You think our beloved GOP has a Palin-lover litmus test for continuing affiliation? Shame on you. Maybe you're the poseur, because that's not my GOP. In mine, we're still allowed to use our own brains and decide which candidates we want to support.

I'm not a member of the GOP.

Suddenly the world seems a safer place.

And safer yet, were you to leave the country, or, at the very least sign an abstinence pledge...that you would abstain from voting.

[_Kishkumen]

I'm not a member of the GOP.

So, I'm still wondering why Palin is of any importance to you and why you think it is indicative of anything about me. Seems to me you were talking out of your ass. Nothing unusual about that.

[_Droopy]

In reality, within conservatism proper, "extremism" really isn't possible. Conservatism is the "politics of prudence" and of careful, judicious progress, and is precisely not the lurching, experimental, novelty for its own sake "change" of the Left.

And you reconcile that with your Palin remark how?

What Sarah Palin remark? You assaulted her here. Very few conservatives did that during the last election, indeed, vanishingly few. She was, in point of fact, the sole galvanizing agent throughout the entire sorry McCain campaign, and was the only chance that particular sorry figure had to win the election against the most underqualified and suspiciously cult-like figure ever to be nominated for the American presidency. Daffy Duck should, in normal times, have been able to defeat Barack Obama in a general election.

But these, of course, are not normal times.

Bottom line, I don't believe for one second you are a conservative, nor that you are not Scratch in drag.

[_Droopy]

So, I'm still wondering why Palin is of any importance to you and why you think it is indicative of anything about me. Seems to me you were talking out of your ass. Nothing unusual about that.

No Scratch, nothing unusual at all. Just pointing out that your view of Palin seems, contra you claim to be a conservative, inconsistent with the perceptions of about 99% of the conservative base.

Strange that. But then again, you haven't really articulated what it is about Palin you so dislike.

[_Kishkumen]

What Sarah Palin remark? You assaulted her here. Very few conservatives did that during the last election, indeed, vanishingly few. She was, in point of fact, the sole galvanizing agent throughout the entire sorry McCain campaign, and was the only chance that particular sorry figure had to win the election against the most underqualified and suspiciously cult-like figure ever to be nominated for the American presidency.

I agree with you 100% on the suspiciously cult-like comment, the characterization of the McCain campaign, and the fact that she was a galvanizing agent for that campaign. What I do not agree with is the notion that her popularity was in any way indicative of the good health of the larger conservative movement. And, I don't give a flying f**k about the unpopularity of Palin criticism. I believe I am in respectable company in my criticism of Palin, albeit one that is in a minority.

Bottom line, I don't believe for one second you are a conservative, nor that you are not Scratch in drag.

The truth is, Drippy, that you believe that you get to decide who is conservative, and you don't want to believe for a moment that someone like myself would be. And this is exactly the confusing of religion and politics that others have been talking about. Your beliefs about me are exhibit A.

[_Kishkumen]

No Scratch, nothing unusual at all. Just pointing out that your view of Palin seems, contra you claim to be a conservative, inconsistent with the perceptions of about 99% of the conservative base.

Strange that. But then again, you haven't really articulated what it is about Palin you so dislike.

And yet you have no problem jumping to all kinds of conclusions, do you?

99% is an rank exaggeration of Palin's popularity. That Palin is popular with much of the "base" may be true, but I don't recall that one has to identify with the base in order to be philosophically aligned with the movement. In other words, I don't have to be a Jesus-jumping, beer-swilling, deer-hunting, country-music listener in order to be a conservative. I can be an atheist, red-wine drinking, philosophy-reading, classical-music listener too. You don't get to make the unilateral decision of ejecting me from the company of conservatives on that basis.