Column features Bidinotto bashing conservatism

[Bidinotto]

I'm delighted to announce that a column based on my critical views of conservatism has just appeared in the March 16 issue of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Titled "Saving a Divided GOP Soul," the hard-hitting piece -- written by libertarian columnist Dimitri Vassilaros -- is one of the very, very few newspaper stories about me that accurately quotes and presents my views. It's based on an extensive interview that I did with Mr. Vassilaros last week. He had seen -- and obviously liked -- the literature that my colleagues at The Atlas Society sent to him and to 2,000 other media people recently, including the March issue of The New Individualist with my cover story, "Up from Conservatism," plus a new book to which my TAS colleagues and I contributed, Straight Talk About the Soul of the Republican Party. (For more information about that project, click here.)

Those of you who would like a free sample copy of the March issue of The New Individualist containing "Up from Conservatism" should click here or phone The Atlas Society at 800-374-1776.

[Chris Grieb]

Robert; Good column about you and Atlas Society. Years ago Ayn Rand knew she was not a conservative. Conservatives have gotten much worse from when she said this. I think it was the early 1960ths. The rational elements of the right must look at their allies and decide if they can continue to stand with these people. One source is to look at people who have left the Left. Someone like Tammy Bruce is not saying we have to get to Jesus if the country is to be saved.

[Bidinotto]

Thanks, Chris.

Barry Goldwater has to be somersaulting in his grave over what has become of the "conservative" movement. His was a largely individualist-premised "conservatism," harkening back to the Enlightenment-era Founders. While not totally consistent to that principle, Goldwater nonetheless was light-years removed from the "conservatism" of today's tribalists, altruists, and traditionalists.

As for finding allies among ex-leftists, I'm not optimistic. While 50% of those polled at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference listed "government intrusion" into our lives as their primary concern, I can't imagine even a fraction of this number responding that way at any similar gathering of liberals.

I had much more to say about all this here.

[Chris Grieb]

Robert; I guess the glass is half empty to me. Only 50% thought government intrusion was the big problem. I think that on the left you will find some government actions to make some leftists angry. I think some leftists can be outraged by double standards. It was the refusal to consider the OJ case a case of wife beating that led Tammy Bruce to break with NOW. David Horowitz left the Left because of the murder of a friend. I recognize the individuals are not Objectivists but they are not religious conservatives.

[Bidinotto]

Chris,

As I indicated in the post on my blog, the fact that 50% at CPAC -- which consists of hardcore conservative leaders and activists -- ranked "government intrusion" as their first concern actually encourages me. The claim that the "religious right" dominates the GOP is just plain wrong: only 30% listed religious-right "values" issues (gay marriage, abortion, etc.) as their primary concerns. Whatever influence that the religious right has on the GOP has been waning, something that their own leaders are publicly lamenting these days.

Many conservatives are disenchanted, even outraged by the Bush administration's spending spree and increases in government programs, and furious at the GOP Congress for becoming porkmeisters. While the trends among elected GOP officials have been toward unprincipled pragmatism, the rank-and-file are largely fed up and demanding a return to the party's limited-government roots and principles. There, the vector is definitely pointing in the right direction.

Thus, it's the perfect time to make philosophical inroads among disenchanted conservatives...which is exactly what we at The Atlas Society have been aiming to do.

[Chris Grieb]

Robert; I don't think we are in disagreement. Is it possible to see this survey. It sounds interesting.

[Bidinotto]

Yes, Chris. The CPAC straw poll is in PDF format. You can find it by going here:

http://www.cpac.org/

...then looking over in the left margin for the "straw poll results" link.

Note especially the results for the various questions pertaining to issue priorities and to favorite candidates. For example, when first-and-second place preferences for candidates are combined, Giuliani -- reputedly the most "socially liberal" of the GOP contenders -- comes in first. That means a significant number of CPAC conservatives are willing to vote for him for President. Just as significant is the fact that the most socially conservative candidates are far behind in the poll.