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Home Archives for conservative movement

4/8/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Is It Time to Step Up Advertising on Colorado Conservative Blogs?

Over at RedState, Erick Erickson makes a great point about rebuilding the conservative movement that can be applied to Colorado:In the past few years, SEIU, AFL-CIO, NEA, DCCC, and a host of other left-wing organizations have been buying ads on left of center blogs keeping those blogs going — allowing the bloggers on the left some financial incentive to keep blogging for the left.... In addition to all of that, you’ve got the Soros gang and SEIU engaging in a host of left-wing activities online that recruit and fund online writers — bloggers, journalists, etc.... Every day in Washington, there is some right-wing group somewhere bemoaning the efforts of the right online. Sadly, for them and the rest of the right, their first … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, Labor, liberty, My Life, PPC Tagged With: advertisers, bloggers, businesses, Colorado, conservative movement, Erick Erickson, existing talent, George Soros, great point, ineffectiveness, journalists, labor unions, left-wing organizations, members, modest rate, operators, owners, Peoples Press Collective, rebuilding, RedState, Rocky Mountain Alliance, SEIU, take heed

1/12/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Bon Voyage: Kathleen Parker Set Adrift from All Conservative Moorings?

I have had to defend my critical assessment of a Kathleen Parker post-election column sloppily aimed with disdain at social conservatives. Within that debate, even I have been inclined to see what she wrote as part of an internal squabble within the larger conservative Republican movement. But if Parker's most recent writing is any indication, it would seem she has no real conservative moorings on fiscal issues, either. You simply have to read it all, as no excerpt sufficiently captures the overtones wrapped insider her ambivalent - and sometimes confused - rhetoric. I agree with Michael: Many messengers of the conservative movement are stuck on old themes, when a newly-crafted message is what's needed. However, as Kathleen Parker … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: adrift, ambivalent, Best Destiny, challenge, column, conservative, conservative moorinigs, conservative movement, critical assessment, debate, defend, disdain, economic history, fiscal crisis, fiscal issues, internal squabble, Kathleen Parker, liberals, messengers, Michael, mush, new message, old themes, religious beliefs, Republican, rhetoric, social conservatives, thought-provoking, Washington DC

12/8/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Corleone-Like Cronyism Another Reason to Shun Huckabee’s Leadership

Regular readers of this blog know I'm no fan of Mike Huckabee. If you need a refresher: Huckabee surge is bad news for serious, coherent conservatives Why not Huckabee? The slime Colorado GOP should heed Kafer and Hillman, not Parker and Huckabee Today, Dr. Jay Greene brought my attention to a story from Arkansas that further highlights the problem. Mike Huckabee's populist themes, identity politics, and underhanded tactics are complemented by his dedication to old-fashioned Southern cronyism. Conservatism and the movement it represents appear to be little more than tools in Huckabee's political toolbox. Or, as Jay Greene puts it:The Huck’s indifference to ideas and obsession with building his personal political network, make … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, General, National Politics Tagged With: Arkansas, civil service, coherent, conservative movement, cronyism, Don Corleone, identity politics, Jay Greene, leader, Mike Huckabee, old-fashioned, personal political network, political toolbox, populist, problem, refresher, Republican Party, standard-bearer, successful, television career, underhanded tactics

12/1/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Finding “Salvation” from Government Debt and Hope for GOP Brand

A good decade ago, in a college political science class, we read this essay penned by Harry Jaffa, with a key memorable passage:The end of the Cold War has also brought an end to the remission of the disease of moral relativism that is corroding the life of western civilization. It would certainly seem that the salvation of the West must come, if it is to come, from the United States. The salvation of the United States, if it is to come, must come from the Republican Party. And the salvation of the Republican Party, if it is to come, must come from the conservative movement within it. And the salvation of the conservative movement, if it is to come, must come from the renewal and reaffirmation of the principles of the American Founding, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, academic debates, alternative, American Founding, Claremont, Cold War, college, Colorado, conservative movement, constrained vision, cost-saving, Declaration of Independence, deficits, economic, environment, fiscal responsibility, fiscally conservative reforms, GOP, government debt, governments, Harry Jaffa, laboratories, mantle, moral relativism, New York Times, opportunities, party leaders, political, political science, Republican brand, Republican Party, Republicans, salvation, services, Soren Dayton, state governments, state level, statehouse, Straussian, The Next Right, tongue-in-cheek, United States, West, Western Civilization

11/11/2008 By Ben 2 Comments

Reasonable, Principled Compromise Needed to Rebuild GOP Coalition

Lately I've struggled for the time and energy to put together some coherent thoughts about what the GOP needs to do to rebuild. Jim Manzi at The Corner said it almost perfectly for me. You need to read the whole post, but here is a key excerpt:While it is always possible to imagine some arbitrary configuration of 51% of voters who have the label “conservative”, Rod’s point [ed: that "no conservative movement that hopes to be successful can do so without religious conservatives"] strikes me as correct as a practical matter. Further, more important than the question of electoral advantage, is the fact that tens of millions of citizens have deeply held beliefs that should be considered in making and enforcing the law. I also believe … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, National Politics Tagged With: abortion, abortion debate, almost perfectly, bleak future, coalition, conservative movement, debates, federal funding, federal government, federal law, federalism, fools, gay marriage, good faith, humble, Jim Manzi, libertarians, liberty, life, limited government, local government, national consensus, National Review, Planned Parenthood, pro-life agenda, rallying cry, religious conservatives, Religious Right, Republican Party, Roe decision, social issues, states, strategy, The Corner, thumbnail analysis, tolerate, workable compromise

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

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