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TechnographThe irrational conservative animal in its natural habitat
Where they come from and where they should go
By Justin Doran
Posted: 9/16/07 Section: Opinion Columns
In the modern world, there is only one thing that frightens me more than international terrorism, and that is the American conservative. This summer, Fox News covered the National Conservative Student Conference, organized by Young America's Foundation, and reported that young conservatives are "brushing off their image as impressionistic and naive followers" and rejecting the Republican Party.
Before I could even start donning my party hat, the Noise continues on to conclude that the future of the conservative movement lies in "edgier" icons like Ann Coulter and Dinesh D'Souza. Although my initial reaction was to write them off completely, I realized it would be folly to blame conservatives for this lemmingesque idiocy. It is simply in their nature.
The conservative is, like all of us, a certain kind of animal. However, where the common man is endowed with reason and good sense, the conservative happily surrenders these faculties for nebulous concepts like "protecting the homeland" and "family values." Of course, these concepts are not abhorrent. In fact, liberals actively pursue the same ideals through fully considered and rational policies. Why, then, does the average conservative have an image of liberals closely resembling that of the Antichrist? To put it bluntly: because this kind of false dichotomy favors Republican politicians.
They realized, some time in the 1980s, that they could not substantially sway the South unless they could create an incentive powerful enough to overcome an entrenched loyalty to the Democratic Party. Finding themselves shut out of the legislatures, they tried the churches. There they discovered a population with strong values, overwhelming faith and a healthy skepticism for the federal government. All they had to do was train them to believe that liberalism was irreligious, and only Republicans could save them from an oncoming moral decay. Thus the Republican elite became not only their brother's keeper, but his handler as well.
Before I could even start donning my party hat, the Noise continues on to conclude that the future of the conservative movement lies in "edgier" icons like Ann Coulter and Dinesh D'Souza. Although my initial reaction was to write them off completely, I realized it would be folly to blame conservatives for this lemmingesque idiocy. It is simply in their nature.
The conservative is, like all of us, a certain kind of animal. However, where the common man is endowed with reason and good sense, the conservative happily surrenders these faculties for nebulous concepts like "protecting the homeland" and "family values." Of course, these concepts are not abhorrent. In fact, liberals actively pursue the same ideals through fully considered and rational policies. Why, then, does the average conservative have an image of liberals closely resembling that of the Antichrist? To put it bluntly: because this kind of false dichotomy favors Republican politicians.
They realized, some time in the 1980s, that they could not substantially sway the South unless they could create an incentive powerful enough to overcome an entrenched loyalty to the Democratic Party. Finding themselves shut out of the legislatures, they tried the churches. There they discovered a population with strong values, overwhelming faith and a healthy skepticism for the federal government. All they had to do was train them to believe that liberalism was irreligious, and only Republicans could save them from an oncoming moral decay. Thus the Republican elite became not only their brother's keeper, but his handler as well.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 12
Adam
posted 9/17/07 @ 9:29 AM CST
"They have been so abused that they believe that they do not deserve health care"
Very funny. You mean conservative students don't think they have a right to force other people to give them what they want? How sad! They must think they are only entitled to their own property and the property of nobody else. (Continued…)
Fred the Duck
posted 9/17/07 @ 10:37 AM CST
"In the modern world, there is only one thing that frightens me more than international terrorism, and that is the American conservative."
Right. The only thing that frightens you more than someone that wants to kill you is someone that you disagree with politically. (Continued…)
ekonya
Elisabeth
posted 9/17/07 @ 10:54 AM CST
"...conservatives find themselves craving those who will feed their hunger for anti-liberal rhetoric."
Funny, but I notice your article contains an awful lot of anti-conservative rhetoric that almost manages to disguise the condescension that soaks this editorial. (Continued…)
Junior LAS
posted 9/17/07 @ 12:38 PM CST
Justin,
I think whatever arguments you are trying to put across get lost when you refer to liberals and conservatives as being somehow brainwashed and trained by "masters". (Continued…)
Dave
posted 9/17/07 @ 12:43 PM CST
As one of those people that Justin would probably categorize as a conservative "animal", I feel highly shocked and offended by this article. As an academic who has formed his views from years of study in philosophy and crafting moral arguments, I'm also insulted by the base stereotypes that Justin plays to in lieu of making any actual ethical arguments to support his case. (Continued…)
J'von
posted 9/17/07 @ 1:57 PM CST
The responses to both of Doran's articles have served to prove a point, as far as I'm concerned, about the nature of bipartisanship. Nearly everyone who has posted here has staunchly defended their position, even though there hasn't been any true affront to their core beliefs -- unless, of course, their core beliefs are that of blind faith in one party's actions and blind disdain for the other's. (Continued…)
LiberalLinguist
posted 9/17/07 @ 9:39 PM CST
U R DUMB
Old Friend
posted 9/19/07 @ 2:48 PM CST
Justin,
I would like to quote you from your response to Chuck Prochaska's "Democrats don't get it" in November of 2004, you wrote "Just because you're writing in the opinions section does not mean you are allowed to make stuff up. (Continued…)
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