Here is what I am telling conservative friends

[LuckyTheDog]

The GOP this week showed that it is about is corporate power an nothing else. They will pursue that and only that, no matter what.

If that means deregulation, they'll do that. If it means making the Treasury and the Fed into piggy banks for Wall Street, they'll do THAT.

Conservatism? It's just a catch phrase. Any real free-market conservative who votes GOP is a fool.

Unless Bob Barr gets 5-10% of the vote, the Republicans will have no reason to ever again embrace real conservative values. It'll be all corporatism all the time. But if they lose an election based on a defection of conservatives, they'll have to "come home" to their Barry Goldwater roots. If they win this time, real conservatism is dead for at least a generation.

Of course, this argument would have the effect of helping Obama win the election. But it also happens to be 100% true, IMHO.

And, as a progressive, I'd rather spend my time going up against well-meaning, principled conservatives than the kind of evil, corporatist Republican criminals we've seen in the past 30 years. So I really do hope the "real" conservatives rise up against McPalin.

[DangerousRhythm]

1. Fiscal conservatism is dead.

They cannot deny this any longer. Aren't they embarrassed yet?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Brilliant

I've tried to tell my conservative friends who won't vote for Obama to vote for Barr, but you've done it far better than I have--may I borrow your argument?

[LuckyTheDog]

6. Please do (nt)

[margotb822]

3. I have been telling them

that Republicans are not capitalists, they are supporters of socialism for the rich and corporate welfare. They make the profits, we prevent their losses. Their policies are nothing more than wealth distribution from the bottom to the top.

[Celebrandil]

4. Positive note

I was just wondering whether one should keep a positive note instead. For a self-indentified conservative it might just be a little too hard to change ideology in a flash. What does conservatism mean to your friends?

[LuckyTheDog]

7. Most conservatives I know...

... are free-market, small government types. They are closer to Barr in their thinking than to McCain. But they see no reason to vote for Barr. But sending a strong message to the GOP might, to them, be worth doing.

[aasleka]

5. Trickle down economics does not work, the rich do not invest in jobs they invest in the market

When the market goes under they want bail outs but when they gain they don't want to be taxed.


Every time trickle down economics is tried, it fails.