Is conservatism dead as a mass movement?

[LuckyTheDog]

If Bob Barr gets less than 6% to 7% of the vote, I think we can write off conservatism as a mass movement in America. It will be proven to have been replaced by "Republicanism," which is whatever the leader of the GOP say it is on any given day.

If Bob Barr is a dud, the GOP will never have a reason to embrace real conservatism ever again. I mean, why would they?

Just a thought.

[Wizard777]

1. No! Conservative are like fungus. They are just laying dormant until the conditions are right to

facilitate their explosive growth.

[LuckyTheDog]

2. I disagree

The GOP will have no reason to embrace conservatism unless Barr takes away at least 6%, IMHO.

If the Republicans know that they can pursue a totally un-idealistic, cynically corporatist agenda and count on the sheep to go along with then ... well, that is what they will do.

[Juche]

3. I think it's still alive

Conservative principles like an efficient government, low taxes, national defense, being friendly to small businesses, etc. haven't died. I think that alot of voters are just too apathetic to figure out that the GOP abandoned all of these principles a long time ago and have become an authoritarian party of the politically connected and super rich.

I think the people who are conservatives and actually paying attention are either going to sit this election out, vote democrat or vote libertarian. Look at all the support Paul garnered. I don't think conservatism is dead.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Well, I will say this:

It is an intensely damaged brand. That said, they will likely re-re-invent themselves during a period of wandering in the wilderness, hewing closer to what they call "classic conservatism" for most, and the rest living in the woods, eating nuts and berries, hoarding guns and rambling about socialism and racial purity.

We will really know that their game is over as the Limbaughs, O'Reillys, Hannitys, Becks and Savages either remake themselves or fade from view, one by scabrous and pustulent one. Kinda like Melanie Morgan.

[Hydra]

5. "What do conservatives conserve?"

Really, conservatives are reactionaries to things they don't like(Gay Marriage comes to mind). They don't actually STAND for anything...they STAND AGAINST things.

Given that fact, there will ALWAYS be conservatives, and given the things they are reacting against(freedom, mostly) they will ALWAYS be annoying little snots.

[islandmkl]

6. conservatism is not even close to dying out....

neo-conservatism might have shot its wad, though...

that is the 'movement' of the past 20 years that has gotten us to this point...

and those bastards only have 6 more months to totally raid the inventory...

[mmonk]

7. Bobb Barr is a conservative while Republicans have moved

towards totalitarianism or fascism.

[whistle]

8. The conservative view of the world will never die until the last Tory

...is planted deep underground with a wooden stake driven through the heart