The Facebook thread started innocently enough… I guess:

OK, I’m just throwing this one out there and see what comes back…maybe Steve is too busy on his honeymoon but let me see who else will respond. Can someone give me a definition of what it means to live a conservative life? Is it strictly a pol…itical view? A religious view? or the ever popular…a combination of them both?

But like anything political, it attracted the wisdom of two passionate politicos - the before-mentioned Steve and yours truly.

Steve: Conservative political thought is based on fact, logic, and common sense. Liberal political thought always seems to be based on feelings and emotion. Many Christians are conservatives but that doesn’t mean all conservatives are religious freaks like many liberals want people to think. There is no such thing as living a “conservative life”. That makes it sound like it’s a religion. I honestly do not understand liberal thought. To me, the way they approach most subjects is like building a bridge without doing any engineering work. “Hey, we really need a bridge here right now! We have to get it done immediately!” unfortunately, no time is taken to see how feasible a bridge is and how strong it needs to be. And in three months the bridge is destroyed by the elements. But that’s okay, our heart was in the right place..

Conservative political thought is based on fact, logic, and common sense?   History is ripe with examples of conservatives NOT using fact, logic, and common sense.   The Iraq war, for example, certainly wasn’t undertaken with a command of the facts.  And when consideration is given to the long list of American accomplishments that conservatives have opposed (See A Short History of Conservative Obstruction to Progress), one wonders why Steve thinks his political ideology is based on logic and common sense.

I’m not sure what point he was trying to make with his bridge analogy.  I can say that most legislation liberals have passed or attempted to pass (Health care, civil rights, clean air and water laws, etc.), conservatives have often tried to stall with the old “this  needs to be studied more” canard. And in all cases, the “engineering work” was years, sometimes decades in the making.  Health care reform, for example, has been on the table since the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, and since then no less than five Presidents have tried to pass some sort of program.

Of course, the character restraints of Facebook wall posts don’t allow such detailed responses, so I tried to answer the question briefy:

Me: Conservatives are more binary in their thinking: Good/bad, right/wrong, black/white. Liberals see the shades of gray. Everything else flows from that.  The following is broad and there are always exceptions, but…

Conservatives believe in “rugged individualism” until they need the government’s help (then they’re not too proud to take a hand out.) Liberals believe a government safety net should be in place before help is needed.

Conservatives believe government should control a person’s personal and social life. Liberals believe the government should control things that affect the collective community.

Conservatives have a problem with the First Amendment. Liberals, the Second one.

“What is conservativism? Is it not the adherence to the old and tried against the new and untried?” - Abe Lincoln

“A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should be done for the first time.” - Al Wiggam

“A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.” - FDR.

From this point on in this post, I’ll be quoting Steve and commenting throughout.

“Conservatives believe in “rugged individualism” until they need the government’s help (then they’re not too proud to take a hand out.)”…expand on this. When have conservatives needed government help? It goes against our principles.

How else can I put it?  Conservatives have long railed against government social programs but are only too happy to use them when they need them.  How many senior conservatives do you know who would give up medicare?  Social Security?  How about Police and Fire protection - both “socialized” government-run institutions.

Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston (very conservative) was recently passing out federal stimulus dollars without mentioning the fact that he voted against those same dollars. Rep. Phil Gingrey blasted the federal stimulus program before voting against it in February, predicting its chances of success were “slim and none” and that it would worsen the national debt.  But that didn’t stop the Republican from presenting an oversized check for $625,000 in federal stimulus funds to Cedartown officials this month for new downtown sidewalks, landscaping and other streetscape improvements.

“Conservatives believe government should control a person’s personal and social life.”…I take it you mean in the bedroom and illegal drugs.

Actually, I mean the bedroom, illegal drugs, and social wedge issues like gay rights and a woman’s right to choose.

I feel that most non-Christian (there you go again) conservavtives feel that the government should stay out of the bedroom of consenting adults.

How many “non-Christian” conservatives lead the conservative movement?  I can’t name one.  How many are speaking for “non-Christian” conservatives?  It’s difficult to separate “Christian” from “Conservative” in American politics.

Taking a look at the 2008 Republican platform is a section titled “Ensuring Equal Treatment For All.”  Of course, conservatives don’t really mean that because there is something missing from their elaboration:  “We consider descrimination based on sex, race, age, religion, creed, disability, or national origin to be immoral.” Is “sexual orientation” missing there?  Of course, because Conservatives have don’t believe gay people should have the same rights you and I have.   There feelings on this are so strong that conservatives have tried unsuccessfully for years to pass an amendment to the Constitution that would define marriage as being between a male and female.  How many people realize only once in our history has a constitutional amendment been passed to outlaw what was a right before?  That was the 18th amendment that prohibited alcohol, passed by conservatives (another example of the long history of conservatives meddling in our private lives.)

One only has to hear the ignorant rantings of a conservative on “the homosexual agenda” to understand just how deep their hate runs.

When liberals talk about drugs being legal, what they really mean is pot. I have no problem with medicinal marijuana.

How about for social use?

As far as other illicits, they’re illegal for a reason

What reasons?

and aren’t abused anywhere near how bad presription drugs are now abused. There are many strong arguments on both sides of that issue, though. But I don’t feel like the government should control a person’s personal and social life. That’s a wreckless statement.

No, it’s a true statement.  Alcohol consumption.  Civil rights.  A woman’s right to choose.  Gay rights.  Conservatives have a history of trying to use the power of the Federal Government to curb the social and private lives of American citizens.

“Conservatives have a problem with the First Amendment. Liberals, the Second one.”…Joey? Seriously? The liberals are the one’s trying get Fox News off the air along with Rush, Hannity, and anybody else that disagrees with them.

Actually, I was referring to the first part of the First Amendment, the one that established the wall of separation between Church and State.  Again, conservatives have a long history of using Christianity as a battering ram on issues like crime, health care, economics, foreign policy, etc.  “Five of the Republican Senators who were unseated 2006 received whopping scores of 100% from the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family Voter Scorecards. Those Senators are: Conrad Burns (R-MT), George Allen (R-VA), Rick Santorum (R-PA), James Talent (R-MO), and Mike DeWine (R-OH). Rick Santorum was the number three ranking Republican in the party. (link)  There is even a move within the Republican party to make Christianity the official state religion.

But who and how is anyone trying to get Fox News off the air along with Rush and Hannity?

Ever hear of the “Fairness Doctrine”?

Yes

That’s simply a liberal plot to get conservatives off the air because liberal radio shows like “Air America” fail so miserably.

Actually, the Fairness Doctrine was introduced in 1949 and required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters.  It only applied to the public airwaves.  Being that the airwaves are publicly owned and private companies only lease them from the Federal Government, it’s certainly understandable that both sides of an issue be presented.  FOX News, being a cable channel, is not governed by the FCC and would not be affected by provisions of the Fairness Doctrine.

I do agree that liberals have a problem with the Second Amendment, though. It’s because they fear what they don’t understand.

Actually, the problem stems from those who interpret it to0 broadly.  At the time it was written, our most powerful “arms” were single shot muskets and cannons.  It’s disturbing that 2nd Amendment adherents today believe they should have the right to carry automatic rifles into schools and other public places.

I like your quotes from the great liberals in history. They’re funny and childish and should be treated as such.

Yes, Abraham Lincoln - first Republican president, funny, and childish.

Here’s a couple of my favorites:

“Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so.” - Ronald Reagan

“Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.” - Ronald Reagan.

“A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man and looks to pay that debt with someone else’s money.” - Gordon Liddy

“They’ve got a big target on there: ATF. Don’t shoot at that because they’ve got a vest on underneath that. Head shot, head shots.” - Gordon Liddy, telling people to shoot at the heads of American Federal Agents.